Patents by Inventor Minoru Asakawa

Minoru Asakawa 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: 8035844
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image printing apparatus which prints an original image as image information on a recording sheet and performs postprocessing on the recording sheet after printing operation. According to the image printing apparatus of the invention, image printing conditions include conditions concerning postprocessing to be executed by a punch unit and postprocessing device and selection information of a main tray or sub-tray. The image printing conditions are stored after being set as individual image printing conditions for each image information and linked to the image information. When image printing conditions are to be read out by a page readout unit, such individual image printing conditions are read out together with image information, printing and postprocessing are executed for each image information, i.e., each original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Takao Kurohata, Yoshihisa Kamata, Minoru Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20100171983
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having functions pertaining to image formation includes: a display unit for displaying a screen corresponding to each function; a storage unit for storing the screens to be displayed on the display unit and start-up factor information, one of the screens stored as an initial screen related to the start-up factor information, the initial screen being displayed at a time of starting up the image forming apparatus; and a control unit for making the image forming apparatus start when the start-up factor information is input from an information obtaining unit in a state where the image forming apparatus is not in operation, for deciding the initial screen to be displayed on the display unit by comparing the input start-up factor information to the start-up factor information stored in the storage unit, and for making the display unit display the decided initial screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventor: Minoru ASAKAWA
  • Patent number: 7576873
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image printing apparatus which prints an original image as image information on a recording sheet and performs postprocessing on the recording sheet after printing operation. According to the image printing apparatus of the invention, image printing conditions include conditions concerning postprocessing to be executed by a punch unit and postprocessing device and selection information of a main tray or sub-tray. The image printing conditions are stored after being set as individual image printing conditions for each image information and linked to the image information. When image printing conditions are to be read out by a page readout unit, such individual image printing conditions are read out together with image information, printing and postprocessing are executed for each image information, i.e., each original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Takao Kurohata, Yoshihisa Kamata, Minoru Asakawa
  • Patent number: 7570381
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: a communication section to connect the image-forming apparatus with other image forming apparatus for communication; a control section for enabling a tandem output function to transfer image information to and form the other image forming apparatus through the communication section and to cause a plurality of image-forming apparatuses to form images; and a job display section for displaying job status of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on tandem job status information including tandem job status information of the other image forming apparatus obtained through the communication section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Junji Sato, Minoru Asakawa, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080292352
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image printing apparatus which prints an original image as image information on a recording sheet and performs postprocessing on the recording sheet after printing operation. According to the image printing apparatus of the invention, image printing conditions include conditions concerning postprocessing to be executed by a punch unit and postprocessing device and selection information of a main tray or sub-tray. The image printing conditions are stored after being set as individual image printing conditions for each image information and linked to the image information. When image printing conditions are to be read out by a page readout unit, such individual image printing conditions are read out together with image information, printing and postprocessing are executed for each image information, i.e., each original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Takao KUROHATA, Yoshihisa Kamata, Minoru Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20080137140
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image printing apparatus which prints an original image as image information on a recording sheet and performs postprocessing on the recording sheet after printing operation. According to the image printing apparatus of the invention, image printing conditions include conditions concerning postprocessing to be executed by a punch unit and postprocessing device and selection information of a main tray or sub-tray. The image printing conditions are stored after being set as individual image printing conditions for each image information and linked to the image information. When image printing conditions are to be read out by a page readout unit, such individual image printing conditions are read out together with image information, printing and postprocessing are executed for each image information, i.e., each original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Takao Kurohata, Yoshihisa Kamata, Minoru Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20080030749
    Abstract: In order to provide an image forming apparatus which controls unnecessary image formation without reducing productivity, at the time of automatic sheet selection, the number of image sheets M which can be present from the writing position of images using the image writing section to the transfer position of the transfer section and the number of sheet N which can be present from the sensors which detect the no-paper state in each of the plurality of sheet feeding sections to the transfer position of the transfer section are obtained, and then the sheet feeding section which satisfies M<N is preferentially selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventor: Minoru ASAKAWA
  • Patent number: 7151908
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of connecting to a finisher which requires a warm-up process before use. The image forming apparatus comprises an input port which inputs warm-up information from the finisher, and a controller which controls the image forming apparatus to transport a set of sheets to the finisher regardless of the warm-up information. The set of sheets are subjected to a finishing operation carried out only after completing the warm-up process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Iwai, Masaru Ushio, Minoru Asakawa
  • Patent number: 7102766
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an image-forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, an area of which is wider than that of a standard fixed-form size having a predetermined fixed-form size, based on an original image recorded on a document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Asakawa, Yoshinao Kitahara, Yoshihisa Kamata, Chikatsu Suzuki, Junji Sato
  • Patent number: 7013098
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including: automatic document feeding means for placing multiple originals in position and feeding the originals one by one; document reading means; printing means for printing on paper image data acquired by the reading means; document detecting means, provided in the automatic document feeding means, for detecting the originals; paper detecting means for detecting paper; operation means for capturing user's operations; and control means for receiving an interrupt operation instruction given by the user through the operation means, determining executable operation modes according to the transport states of the originals and paper detected by the document detecting means and the paper detecting means, and outputting the executable operation mode selected through the operation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Hosoi, Minoru Asakawa, Takaaki Sakai
  • Publication number: 20060007475
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: a communication section to connect the image-forming apparatus with other image forming apparatus for communication; a control section for enabling a tandem output function to transfer image information to and form the other image forming apparatus through the communication section and to cause a plurality of image-forming apparatuses to form images; and a job display section for displaying job status of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on tandem job status information including tandem job status information of the other image forming apparatus obtained through the communication section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Junji Sato, Minoru Asakawa, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050265764
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of connecting to a finisher which requires a warm-up process before use. The image forming apparatus comprises an input port which inputs warm-up information from the finisher, and a controller which controls the image forming apparatus to transport a set of sheets to the finisher regardless of the warm-up information. The set of sheets are subjected to a finishing operation carried out only after completing the warm-up process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Iwai, Masaru Ushio, Minoru Asakawa
  • Patent number: 6954277
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet whose area is larger than that of a predetermined size-fixed recording sheet, comprises an image forming member for forming an image on the recording sheet; a sheet feeder to feed the recording sheet to the image forming member; a controller to control the image forming member so as to form an image on the recording sheet such that a first central point of the recording sheet defined in terms of a main scanning direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording sheet by the sheet feeder is placed on a first center line of the image, wherein the first center line is perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and one side of the image is parallel to one side of the recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Kamata, Masaru Ushio, Jun Yokobori, Minoru Asakawa, Junji Sato
  • Publication number: 20050047813
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including: automatic document feeding means for placing multiple originals in position and feeding the originals one by one; document reading means; printing means for printing on paper image data acquired by the reading means; document detecting means, provided in the automatic document feeding means, for detecting the originals; paper detecting means for detecting paper; operation means for capturing user's operations; and control means for receiving an interrupt operation instruction given by the user through the operation means, determining executable operation modes according to the transport states of the originals and paper detected by the document detecting means and the paper detecting means, and outputting the executable operation mode selected through the operation means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Hosoi, Minoru Asakawa, Takaaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 6810219
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming images on recording materials of various types and sizes. The image forming apparatus includes a storing member for storing recording materials having an arbitrary size, a size-information input device for inputting size information corresponding to the arbitrary size of the recording materials, and a controller for controlling an image forming operation according to the size information inputted by the size-information input device. The size information input by the size-information input device includes each of arbitrary values corresponding to longitudinal and lateral lengths of the recording materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Yokobori, Junji Sato, Hiroki Ueda, Minoru Asakawa, Takaaki Sakai, Akio Ueda, Chikatsu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20040174551
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image printing apparatus which prints an original image as image information on a recording sheet and performs postprocessing on the recording sheet after printing operation. According to the image printing apparatus of the invention, image printing conditions include conditions concerning postprocessing to be executed by a punch unit and postprocessing device and selection information of a main tray or sub-tray. The image printing conditions are stored after being set as individual image printing conditions for each image information and linked to the image information. When image printing conditions are to be read out by a page readout unit, such individual image printing conditions are read out together with image information, printing and postprocessing are executed for each image information, i.e., each original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Takao Kurohata, Yoshihisa Kamata, Minoru Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20040136734
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming images on recording materials of various types and sizes. The image forming apparatus includes a storing member for storing recording materials having an arbitrary size, a size-information input device for inputting size information corresponding to the arbitrary size of the recording materials, and a controller for controlling an image forming operation according to the size information inputted by the size-information input device. The size information input by the size-information input device includes each of arbitrary values corresponding to longitudinal and lateral lengths of the recording materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: KONICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Yokobori, Junji Sato, Hiroki Ueda, Minoru Asakawa, Takaaki Sakai, Akio Ueda, Chikatsu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6701099
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming images on recording materials of various types and sizes. The image forming apparatus includes a storing member for storing recording materials having an arbitrary size, a size-information input device for inputting size information corresponding to the arbitrary size of the recording materials, and a controller for controlling an image forming operation according to the size information inputted by the size-information input device. The size information input by the size-information input device includes each of arbitrary values corresponding to longitudinal and lateral lengths of the recording materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Yokobori, Junji Sato, Hiroki Ueda, Minoru Asakawa, Takaaki Sakai, Akio Ueda, Chikatsu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20030215252
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which is capable of forming images on recording materials of various types and sizes. The image forming apparatus includes a storing member for storing recording materials having an arbitrary size, a size-information input device for inputting size information corresponding to the arbitrary size of the recording materials, and a controller for controlling the image forming operation according to the size information inputted by the size-information input device. The size information input by the size-information input device includes each of arbitrary values corresponding to longitudinal and lateral lengths of the recording materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Applicant: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Yokobori, Junji Sato, Hiroki Ueda, Minoru Asakawa, Takaaki Sakai, Akio Ueda, Chikatsu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6636707
    Abstract: A control method is provided for sheet-feeding in an image forming apparatus in which a sheet is fed to an image forming section of the image forming apparatus having a finisher which receives the sheet on which the image is formed and finishes the sheet. The control method includes the steps of: conducting a continuous image forming process that makes plural sets of sheets each on which the image has been formed; and controlling a starting of a sheet-feeder which feeds a first sheet of a set of sheets to the image forming section, according to a logical product of a condition on the continuous image forming process in the image forming apparatus and a condition of an operating process in the finisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Asakawa, Kenichi Hosoi, Takaaki Sakai