Patents by Inventor Naoji Otsuka
Naoji Otsuka 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).
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Publication number: 20050053408Abstract: A printing medium is conveyed at a high speed and high accuracy by reducing the conveyance error of a conveyor roller as much as possible. For this purpose, the printing apparatus includes first measuring unit for obtaining a conveying amount of said printing medium by measuring a rotational amount of the conveyor roller, second measuring unit for obtaining a conveying amount of the printing medium by directly detecting a moving amount of the printing medium, and control conveying operation by using both of output values obtained from the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit. Thereby, it is possible to correct the output value from the first measuring unit by the output value from the second measuring unit, as well as to switch the output value used for the conveyance control between both the output values.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2004Publication date: March 10, 2005Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Naoji Otsuka
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Publication number: 20050052481Abstract: According to the present invention, an adjustment value applicable to the adjustment of a printing position is obtainable by reading a printing position adjustment pattern printed on a printing medium without requiring the manual operation by the operator. Furthermore, the printing position can be optimally adjusted by accurately scanning the printing position adjustment pattern. For this purpose, an optical sensor is located in the vicinity of the printing head, and the optical sensor is situated near a predetermined position side. The predetermined position side is a pinch roller side where a large restrictive force acts to the printing medium with the printing position adjustment pattern printed thereon.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2004Publication date: March 10, 2005Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiichiro Takahashi, Naoji Otsuka, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Satoshi Seki
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Publication number: 20050046657Abstract: A printing apparatus and a print position aligning method are provided which can execute a dot position adjust value calculation mode normally and smoothly without requiring the user to make decisions or adjustments. A test pattern to check the width of a print medium is printed and is detected by an optical sensor to decide whether or not a dot position adjustment pattern can be printed. Before the dot position adjustment pattern is printed, a decision is made as to whether the print medium supplied is appropriate or not. If the print medium supplied is smaller than a size specified for the dot position adjust value calculation processing, the print medium is discharged without being printed with the dot position adjustment pattern. This eliminates a possibility of a wasteful consumption of print mediums and of contaminating the interior of the printing apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2004Publication date: March 3, 2005Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Satoshi Seki, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara
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Publication number: 20050030337Abstract: A printing apparatus, which forms a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, includes a changing unit for changing an order of applications of the inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; and a forming unit for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a predetermined direction different from the order of another, by the changing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2004Publication date: February 10, 2005Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Nishikori, Osamu Iwasaki, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Publication number: 20050018012Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, if ejection opening rows for yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are symmetrically arranged, ejection opening rows for a black ink are arranged adjacent to the most inside ejection opening rows for the yellow ink. Thus, a difference in color between forward scanning and backward scanning is determined by a difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink. In this case, a possible color drift attributed to bidirectional printing can be suppressed by selecting the inks so that the difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink is smaller than that between the black ink and the other color inks.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2004Publication date: January 27, 2005Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Osamu Iwasaki, Kiichiro Takahashi, Hitoshi Nishikori, Naoji Otsuka, Minoru Teshigawara, Tetsuya Edamura, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Satoshi Seki
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Patent number: 6846066Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus ejects ink droplets having two sizes, a large size and a small size. The ink-jet recording apparatus records data with a pattern assigned to quantized data. This arrangement reduces density non-uniformity and streaks related to the landing accuracy of ink droplets, the accuracy of sheet conveyance in the recording apparatus, and the accuracy of carriage scanning. Recording is performed with large and small dot-matrix patterns assigned to quantized data on independent planes. When the large dot and the small dot in a pattern are provided to one pixel at the same time, the large dot and the small dot are placed in positions not overlapping in the one pixel.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2003Date of Patent: January 25, 2005Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Minoru Teshikawara, Tetyuya Edamura, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki
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Publication number: 20040263883Abstract: In an image processing method, on the basis of input image data with respect to a target pixel, independent multi-level data (g0, g1) corresponding to respective plural species of dots which are different in at least one of a density and a diameter are generated, and then data (O0, O1) relating to an amount of generation of the dots with respect to the target pixel are generated on the basis of a relationship between the generated independent multi-level data (g0, g1) corresponding to the plural species of dots. The image processing method is effective in performing design having a high degree of flexibility in proper use of a relatively high power dot (high density dot or large dot) and a relatively low power dot (low density dot or small dot) and can realize obviation or alleviation of an occurrence of granulation or an apparent frame caused due to the relatively high power dot.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2004Publication date: December 30, 2004Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishikori, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Patent number: 6834936Abstract: Two print heads combined for each ink color are arranged symmetric to each other with respect to the scan direction and are used for a bidirectional printing. In producing secondary colors, image data is spread-processed by using a “diagonal arrangement” spread pattern to differentiate the ink application order at one of dots arranged in the raster direction from those of the other dots and thereby reduce color variations in the scan direction. Further, when image data has a half-tone, a “horizontal arrangement” spread pattern, different from the previous one, is used to perform image processing on the image data to alleviate an undesired texture. To prevent a driving load from concentrating on only one of the paired print heads, the number of times that each nozzle is driven is counted and an adjustment is made to spread the frequency of use among the two paired print heads.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2003Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Minoru Teshigawara, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Hitoshi Nishikori, Osamu Iwasaki
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Patent number: 6832825Abstract: An apparatus and method capable of obtaining an output characteristic of the print unit and determining a correction value for an output density, without using an expensive scanner. To realize this, a nozzle array consisting of a plurality of nozzles provided in the print head is divided into a plurality of nozzle blocks [a] to [d] and each of patches is formed by using the nozzles of the same nozzle block allocated to the patch. The patches are printed in a size and shape that allows the densities of the patches to be optically detected by the density sensor. A test pattern comprising these patches is measured by the density sensor to make a density correction for each nozzle of the print head.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2000Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishikori, Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Kaneji Yamada, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Publication number: 20040252160Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, when symmetrically arranged ejection opening rows for a cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are used in the print head, one-pass bidirectional printing is executed. On the other hand, if ejection opening rows for a black ink are used in addition to the above ejection opening rows, multi-pass printing is executed so that there are a number of dots formed with one application order for the black and other color inks and the same number of dots formed with another application order for the black and other color inks. This reduces the non-uniformity of the colors attributed to the difference in application order.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2004Publication date: December 16, 2004Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Osamu Iwasaki, Kiichiro Takahashi, Naoji Otsuka, Minoru Teshigawara, Tetsuya Edamura, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Satoshi Seki
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Patent number: 6827424Abstract: A print method that uses a printer apparatus based on a multi-pass printing method to reduce the unevenness of colors associated with a scanning direction, even during bidirectional color printing. For this purpose, sets of two print heads that apply cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) inks are arranged to be symmetrical in the scanning direction so that a plurality of secondary color pixels arranged in a raster direction can be formed by changing an ink application order (C→M and M→C). Consequently, the pluralities of secondary color pixels arranged in the raster direction undergo the different ink application orders, so that the application order remains the same whether the pixels are formed during forward or backward scanning. Therefore, the unevenness of colors associated with the ink application order can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2001Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Minoru Teshigawara, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki
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Patent number: 6805422Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material by ejecting ink with relative scanning movement between a recording head and the recording material, the ink jet recording apparatus, including obtaining means for obtaining information indicative of an amount of ink to be ejected to each of unit areas provided by dividing an area in the neighborhood of a boundary between adjacent bands of scanning recording of the recording head on the recording material; and control means for controlling an amount of being to be ejected to the unit area on the basis of the output of the obtaining means, wherein the unit areas exist astride the boundary between adjacent one of the bands.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2001Date of Patent: October 19, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiichiro Takahashi, Naoji Otsuka, Kentaro Yano, Hitoshi Nishikori, Daigoro Kanematsu, Masao Kato, Mitsuhiro Ono, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Patent number: 6793320Abstract: A complete image is obtained by performing printing scan for M times (M is an integral number: M ≧1) using N printing elements (N is an integral number: N≧2) on the same printing area of in a front side of the printing medium in the direction of transporting the printing medium. On the other hand, a complete image is also obtained by performing printing scan for K times (K is an integral number: K>M) using L printing elements (L is an integral number: L≦N) on the same printing area in rear side of the printing medium in the direction of transporting the printing medium.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2001Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Osamu Iwasaki, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Minoru Teshigawara
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Patent number: 6789867Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can realize both a high speed printing and a high quality printing without color deviations when each of the print areas is printed in a plurality of scans by a plurality of print heads ejecting different kinds of ink. For this purse, this invention has a controller for controlling for each print head independently widths and positions of active nozzle groups in the print heads, the active nozzle groups representing those of the plurality of nozzles in the print heads which are used for printing, wherein the controller controls the widths and positions of the active nozzle groups according to a set printing condition.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kiichiro Takahashi, Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Hitoshi Nishikori, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Patent number: 6783215Abstract: In a supply system which includes an ink container for reserving a predetermined amount of ink to be supplied to a printing head and which is configured such that ink is intermittently supplied to the container from an ink tank, there is provided a structure that fundamentally eliminates waste of ink associated with an operation of charging the container to apply a required negative pressure to the head. An ink containing body in which a negative pressure can be generated because of its elasticity is provided in the container. After the ink containing body is expanded to introduce ink into the same by depressurizing the interior of the container, the interior of the container is pressurized to contract the ink containing body, thereby returning a predetermined amount of ink to the tank. A negative pressure is thus generated in equilibrium with an ink meniscus holding ability of the head.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2003Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahito Yoshida, Naoji Otsuka, Hiroyuki Inoue, Takashi Nojima, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Shusuke Inamura, Yasufumi Tanaami, Takeshi Iwasaki, Noriko Sato, Yasuyuki Hirai, Takeshi Yazawa
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Patent number: 6764154Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus and an ink-jet printing method allow the printing of an image with high quality without causing a change in ink color formed on the printing medium while keeping the printing conditions constant regardless of changing of the number of nozzles to be printed and the amount of transferring of the printing medium. This printing is performed, for example, by restricting use of the number of nozzles, which belong to a nozzle row located on an upstream side in the sub-scan direction, before changing the amount of transferring of the printing medium; and restricting use of the number of nozzles, which belong to the nozzle rows located on a downstream side in the sub-scan direction, after changing the amount of transferring of the printing medium.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishikori, Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Patent number: 6755506Abstract: In an ink jet print head used in a serial type ink jet printing apparatus according the present invention, a portion of the nozzle column is given a wider nozzle-to-nozzle interval than those of other portions of the nozzle column so that the width in the line feed direction of each image area printed in a single printing scan by the ink jet print head is longer than a distance that a print medium is moved by one line feed. In this serial print head, the width of each image area printed by a single printing scan can be made a predetermined amount longer than the line feed distance at all times. As a result, the adjoining image areas printed by separate printing scans overlap each other at their boundary portions by a predetermined amount.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2003Date of Patent: June 29, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishikori, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma, Satoshi Seki
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Patent number: 6755496Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus including: a print unit having a polarity of ejection outlet arrays, for ejecting ink,; a scan unit for scanningly moving the print unit relative to the print medium in a main scan direction; and a feed unit for feeding the print medium relative to the print unit in a direction which is different from the main scan direction, wherein an image is formed on the print medium while repeating a scanning operation of the scanning unit and a feeding operation by the feeding unit. The apparatus also includes an information obtaining unit for obtaining image information; and a selecting unit for selecting at least one of the ejection outlet arrays to effect printing for the image data in a predetermined area, on the basis of the information obtained by the information obtain unit about image formations.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2002Date of Patent: June 29, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Nishikori, Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Publication number: 20040119224Abstract: In a printing apparatus the feeding of a printing medium is fed such that before a paper sensor detects a trailing edge of a preceding printing medium, a paper feeding roller begins the feeding of a succeeding printing medium, and after the paper sensor detects the trailing edge of the preceding printing medium, a leading edge of the succeeding printing medium arrives at a location of the paper sensor. Thus, the feeding of a printing paper is performed rapidly and the printing apparatus can perform recording rapidly accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2003Publication date: June 24, 2004Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Naoji Otsuka
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Publication number: 20040090480Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus for ejecting ink droplets having two sizes, a large size and a small size. The ink-jet recording apparatus records data with a pattern assigned to quantized data. This arrangement reduces density non-uniformity and streaks depending on the landing accuracy of ink droplets, the accuracy of sheet conveyance in the recording apparatus, and the accuracy of carriage scanning are reduced. Recording is performed with large and small dot-matrix patterns assigned to quantized data on independent planes. When the large dot and the small dot in a pattern are provided to one pixel at the same time, the large dot and the small dot are placed in positions not overlapping in the one pixel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2003Publication date: May 13, 2004Applicant: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Minoru Teshikawara, Tetsyuya Edamura, Naoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Osamu Iwasaki
