Patents by Inventor Mitsuharu Yoshimoto

Mitsuharu Yoshimoto 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: 20100124439
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an illuminating device that is disposed in an image-reading apparatus and image-forming equipment, comprising: a light-source portion on one side; a light-source portion on the other side; and a long translucent light-guiding member having a light-discharging face long in a longitudinal direction thereof, and guiding light derived from the one light-source portion from one end face in the longitudinal direction, and light derived from the other light-source portion from the other end face in the longitudinal direction so that the guided light is irradiated to an object through the long light-discharging face; wherein the one and the other light-source portions are arranged such that positions of optical axes thereof differ from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SUTO, Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO, Tomohiko OKADA, Shohichi FUKUTOME, Hisashi YAMANAKA, Kenji NAKANISHI, Yoshihisa YAMADA
  • Patent number: 7688483
    Abstract: A document reading apparatus including: a first scanning section that moves in a scanning direction along a document surface, for supporting a first mirror to reflect an image of a document in a direction parallel to the scanning direction; an intermediate scanning section that moves synchronous with the first scanning section, for supporting an intermediate mirror to reflect the image of the document reflected by the first mirror in a direction opposite from an incident direction of the image; a reading section including an imaging sensor for reading the image of a scanned document and a focusing lens for focusing the image of the document reflected by the intermediate mirror on the imaging sensor; a driving wire for pulling the first scanning section in the scanning direction; a supporting pulley for supporting the driving wire at a starting side for scanning or at an ending side for scanning; a position adjustment section capable of adjusting a position of the supporting pulley in its axial direction; a co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Okada, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Tanaka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Noritomo Nakashima, Yoshikazu Fukuda, Hiroshi Sudoh, Yutaka Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20090290200
    Abstract: The document read apparatus according to the present invention has a light source unit that includes a linear first light and second light sources, both light sources aligned parallel to the sub scanning direction (moving direction). When the light source unit is scanning a book document in a second region shifted toward a side of the first light source from a center position for emitting light to the center of the document, a light quantity of the second light source becomes larger than a light quantity of the first light source. When the light source unit is scanning the book document in a third region shifted toward a side of the second light source from the center position, the light quantity of the first light source becomes larger than the light quantity of the second light source. A sum of both light quantities is controlled to be constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO, Yasuhiro SUTO, Tomohiko OKADA, Noritomo NAKASHIMA, Kenji TANAKA, Shohichi FUKUTOME
  • Patent number: 7589871
    Abstract: An original transport and reading apparatus includes an original transport apparatus having a transport path, a first image reading unit that reads an image of an original facing the original transport apparatus, and a second image reading unit that is arranged inside the original transport apparatus and reads an image of the original. The second image reading unit includes a light source, a turning mirror, a lens, an image sensor, and a rotation support shaft, and is accommodated and held by a unit casing. The rotation support shaft performs support so as to allow rotation of the second image reading unit centered on a rotational fulcrum that is arranged along a reading light path for reading an image at a second reading position. Furthermore, a curved original guide having a guiding surface that is curved is arranged in a position corresponding to the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Tomohiko Okada, Yasuhiro Suto, Kenji Nakanishi, Hisashi Yamanaka, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Publication number: 20090135457
    Abstract: An original transport and reading apparatus is provided with an original transport portion that transports an original, an original reading portion that reads the original transported by the original transport portion through a reading region of a reading glass, and a control portion that controls the original transport portion. The control portion executes foreign matter removal at the reading region of the reading glass by controlling the original transport portion so as to cause the original to advance in a reverse direction to a transport direction of when the original is being read and causes the original to contact at least the reading region of the reading glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Tomohiko OKADA, Yoshitaka Okahashi, Kenji Tanaka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Publication number: 20090034027
    Abstract: An original transport and reading apparatus includes an original transport apparatus having a transport path, a first image reading unit that reads an image of an original facing the original transport apparatus, and a second image reading unit that is arranged inside the original transport apparatus and reads an image of the original. The second image reading unit includes a light source, a turning mirror, a lens, an image sensor, and a rotation support shaft, and is accommodated and held by a unit casing. The rotation support shaft performs support so as to allow rotation of the second image reading unit centered on a rotational fulcrum that is arranged along a reading light path for reading an image at a second reading position. Furthermore, a curved original guide having a guiding surface that is curved is arranged in a position corresponding to the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO, Tomohiko Okada, Yasuhiro Suto, Kenji Nakanishi, Hisashi Yamanaka, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Publication number: 20080196937
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention involves a document reading apparatus that includes an optical scanning unit that moves back and forth in a document reading direction so as to read information of a document placed on a document placement table arranged in a top face of a frame by irradiating the document with light emitted from a light source lamp, and a distribution cable connected to the light source lamp. The optical scanning unit includes a support member that leads out and supports the distribution cable connected to the light source lamp in the document reading direction, and the support member includes a regulating member that regulates inclination of the lead-out distribution cable with respect to the document reading direction to support the distribution cable so as to be substantially parallel to the document reading direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Tomohiko Okada, Yasuhiro Suto, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Kenji Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080024839
    Abstract: A document reading apparatus including: a first scanning section that moves in a scanning direction along a document surface, for supporting a first mirror to reflect an image of a document in a direction parallel to the scanning direction; an intermediate scanning section that moves synchronous with the first scanning section, for supporting an intermediate mirror to reflect the image of the document reflected by the first mirror in a direction opposite from an incident direction of the image; a reading section including an imaging sensor for reading the image of a scanned document and a focusing lens for focusing the image of the document reflected by the intermediate mirror on the imaging sensor; a driving wire for pulling the first scanning section in the scanning direction; a supporting pulley for supporting the driving wire at a starting side for scanning or at an ending side for scanning; a position adjustment section capable of adjusting a position of the supporting pulley in its axial direction; a co
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventors: Tomohiko OKADA, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutoma, Kenji Tanaka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Noritomo Nakashima, Yoshikazu Fukuda, Hiroshi Sudoh, Yutaka Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20070242319
    Abstract: A document table is provided with a first chart portion and a second chart portion. In each of the first chart portion and the second chart portion, a reference chart is formed. The first chart portion is disposed at an upstream chart position, and the second chart portion is disposed at a downstream-side position located away in a sub-scanning direction from the upstream chart position. On the basis of respective chart images of the first chart portion and second chart portion obtained from respective reference charts of the first and second chart portions read by a document reading portion, the image processing portion obtains respective sharpening levels for respective image areas of a document image of a document read by the document reading portion and, based on the respective sharpening levels, processes the document image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Okada, Shohichi Fukutome, Yasuhiro Suto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 7197254
    Abstract: An image-forming unit 100 in a complex device A forms a correction-use image onto a sheet in accordance with data, in such a manner that the correction-use image thus formed partly on and partly off the sheet and includes edges of the sheet, the date being preliminarily determined in accordance with a size of the sheet. An image-detecting section 520 reads that portion of the correction-use image which is transferred on an image-transfer belt 7 as the correction-use image is formed by the image-forming unit 100. A correction value is calculated in accordance with data thus obtained by the image-detecting section 520. A control section then causes a data storing section to store the correction value. The control section reads out the correction value when forming an image in the complex device A, and forms the image, performing correction of the image, using the correction value for correcting an image-forming condition regarding how the image is formed on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Tomita, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Kyosuke Taka, Nobuo Manabe
  • Patent number: 7123851
    Abstract: An adjustment method for an image forming device, for adjusting image forming condition with respect to a sheet by using image forming means. The adjustment operation is performed in such a manner that: a first image, that is used for detecting scanning error of an image scanning device, is formed on an image carrying body and then transferred from the image carrying body to the sheet, the first image being formed over at least three corners of the sheet while extending outside the sheet. The sheet with the first image is scanned by the image scanning device to figure out a scanning error amount of the image scanning device, and a correction value of image forming condition of the image forming means is found in consideration of the scanning error amount. The image forming condition with respect to the sheet is modified based on the correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Tomita, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Kyosuke Taka, Nobuo Manabe, Manabu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6985251
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image data input section for reading a document as image data; a target value memory section for storing a target value of an input/output characteristic value when a reference document is read; a comparator for comparing the image data of the reference document and the target value so as to create a new input/output characteristic value; a fixed value memory section for storing a difference in input/output characteristic values as a fixed value between an original document and a copy document; and an adder for adding the fixed value to the image data of the reference document so as to output a resultant value to the comparator. By the provision of the fixed value memory section and the adder, the image forming apparatus can set a plurality of input/output characteristic values by reading the reference document once, thus reducing time for the procedure of setting the respective input/output characteristic values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Okahashi, Nobuo Manabe, Takao Horiuchi, Kyosuke Taka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Hidekazu Sakagami
  • Publication number: 20050036799
    Abstract: An image-forming unit 100 in a complex device A forms a correction-use image onto a sheet in accordance with data, in such a manner that the correction-use image thus formed partly on and partly off the sheet and includes edges of the sheet, the date being preliminarily determined in accordance with a size of the sheet. An image-detecting section 520 reads that portion of the correction-use image which is transferred on an image-transfer belt 7 as the correction-use image is formed by the image-forming unit 100. A correction value is calculated in accordance with data thus obtained by the image-detecting section 520. A control section then causes a data storing section to store the correction value. The control section reads out the correction value when forming an image in the complex device A, and forms the image, performing correction of the image, using the correction value for correcting an image-forming condition regarding how the image is formed on the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norio Tomita, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Kyosuke Taka, Nobuo Manabe
  • Publication number: 20040240894
    Abstract: An adjustment method for an image forming device, for adjusting image forming condition with respect to a sheet by using image forming means. The adjustment operation is performed in such a manner that: a first image, that is used for detecting scanning error of an image scanning device, is formed on an image carrying body and then transferred from the image carrying body to the sheet, the first image being formed over at least three corners of the sheet while extending outside the sheet. The sheet with the first image is scanned by the image scanning device to figure out a scanning error amount of the image scanning device, and a correction value of image forming condition of the image forming means is found in consideration of the scanning error amount. The image forming condition with respect to the sheet is modified based on the correction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norio Tomita, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Kyosuke Taka, Nobuo Manabe, Manabu Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20010052989
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image data input section for reading a document as image data; a target value memory section for storing a target value of an input/output characteristic value when a reference document is read; a comparator for comparing the image data of the reference document and the target value so as to create a new input/output characteristic value; a fixed value memory section for storing a difference in input/output characteristic values as a fixed value between an original document and a copy document; and an adder for adding the fixed value to the image data of the reference document so as to output a resultant value to the comparator. By the provision of the fixed value memory section and the adder, the image forming apparatus can set a plurality of input/output characteristic values by reading the reference document once, thus reducing time for the procedure of setting the respective input/output characteristic values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Okahashi, Nobuo Manabe, Takao Horiuchi, Kyosuke Taka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Hidekazu Sakagami
  • Patent number: 6027109
    Abstract: A document feeder to be mounted atop an image reading device having a stationary optical system disposed under a contact glass. The document feeder includes a document original plate for holding thereon document originals, a document original feeding mechanism for feeding a document original from the document original plate onto a contact glass, a document original transporting mechanism for transporting the document original fed by the document original feeding mechanism along the upper surface of the contact glass, a document original discharging mechanism for discharging the document original transported by the document original transporting mechanism, and a document original discharge plate for receiving the document original discharged by the document original discharging mechanism. The document original feeding mechanism, the document original transporting mechanism and the document original discharging mechanism are integrally supported in a unit body to constitute a single unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wada, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Sinji Yamamoto, Tadahiro Kiyosumi, Junichi Inada, Susumu Hanano, Takeshi Sakaguchi, Susumu Takehara
  • Patent number: 5984298
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus having a feeding roller for feeding a sheet, a support shaft forwardly and reversely rotatable integrally with the feeding roller and a stopper disposed upstream of the feeding roller in the sheet feeding direction for temporarily regulating the feed of a sheet to the feeding roller. When the rotation in one direction of the feeding roller is transmitted to a locking member through a one-way clutch, the locking member is rotated to lock the stopper. When the feeding roller is rotated in the opposite direction, the locked state of the stopper is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wada, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Sinji Yamamoto, Junichi Inada, Susumu Hanano, Takeshi Sakaguchi, Eijiro Masaki, Susumu Takehara, Tadahiro Kiyosumi
  • Patent number: 5953135
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which paper sheets are not forgotten in a paper discharging section so provided in the main body of the apparatus so as to open toward the front. An operation panel is arranged in an upper part on the front side of the main body of the image forming apparatus 16, and a side space 16 is provided on the right of the operation panel. An operator can visually confirm paper sheets discharged into a paper discharging section from above through the side space. The paper discharging section is in the main body of the image forming apparatus, whereby economy of space can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Tomoe, Toshihiko Watanabe, Yoshifumi Okauchi, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Susumu Hanano
  • Patent number: 5933251
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an optical system, an image forming section and a paper conveying section provided in its main body. The main body includes a first portion containing the optical system and a second portion containing the image forming section and the paper conveying section below the first portion. A paper discharging section opening toward the front is provided between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion is shifted by a predetermined amount backward with the position where it is lined up to a second portion as a basis. It is easy to visually confirm whether or not there is a paper sheet in the paper discharging section below the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Tetsuro Tomoe, Yoshifumi Okauchi, Naoyuki Ishida, Tadahiro Kiyosumi
  • Patent number: 5881350
    Abstract: An original guiding device capable of improving the conveyance of an original in an original conveying path. There is provided an original carrying-in path formed so as to be inclined from the original conveying path and a guiding mechanism for guiding the original while restraining the deformation of the original between the original carrying-in path and the original conveying path. The guiding mechanism may be one for guiding the original while elastically holding the original therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wada, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Sinji Yamamoto, Tadahiro Kiyosumi, Junichi Inada, Takeshi Sakaguchi, Eijiro Masaki, Susumu Takehara