Patents by Inventor Naoki Hirako

Naoki Hirako 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: 8842301
    Abstract: A supply control device includes: a deciding unit that decides an order of plural containers that supply recording media to an image-forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a specifying unit that specifies one of the plural containers; a determining unit that determines for each of the plural containers whether recording media stored in the container are available for forming an image, in the order decided by the deciding unit, in which the container specified by the specifying unit is set as a starting point; and a supply unit that retrieves a recording medium from a container whose recording media have been determined by the determining unit to be available for forming an image, and supplies the recording medium to the image-forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Hirako, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Hiroyuki Funayama, Izumi Suda
  • Patent number: 8537405
    Abstract: A controller includes: a sub-control substrate that includes a first memory storing first control information to be used for controlling at least one of a plurality of modules of a processing apparatus, and controls the at least one of the plurality of modules by using the stored first control information while the controller is connected to the processing apparatus; and a main control substrate that includes a second memory and controls an operation of the sub-control substrate; and wherein: if a first operation is performed, the main control substrate acquires second control information that is to be used for controlling at least one of the plurality of modules and is determined from the first control information, and stores the acquired second control information in the second memory, when the controller is connected to the processing apparatus, and a second operation is performed, the main control substrate supplies the second control information stored in the second memory to another controller included
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Kimura, Naoki Hirako, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Hiroyuki Funayama, Izumi Suda
  • Patent number: 8406643
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image formation unit, a conveying unit and controller. The image formation unit includes a rotating photoreceptor, a latent image formation unit, a developing unit, a first transfer unit, and a second transfer unit. Regardless of forming or not forming on the photoreceptor a belt-shaped image which is not being transferred onto a recording medium, the controller controls the image forming unit such that formation of an image quality adjusting image that is not transferred to the recording medium starts from a predetermined position in a rotational direction of the photoreceptor, and such that the recorded image is formed further downstream in the rotational direction of the photoreceptor than an image quality adjusting image region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Funayama, Naoki Hirako, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Mitsugu Kamio, Shun Kuwahara, Izumi Suda
  • Patent number: 8311436
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a forming unit that forms an image on an image holder that is a rotating body holding an image; a measuring unit that measures a rotation amount of the image holder with reference to a certain position on the image holder; a determining unit that: identifies a position on the image holder from which an image is to be formed by the forming unit, according to the rotation amount measured by the measuring unit; if, while a plurality of images are successively formed on the image holder, an image for density correction is to be formed, postpones forming of the image for density correction until a timing arrives at which one image of the plurality of images is to be formed from a predetermined position on the image holder, and when the timing arrives at which the one image of the plurality of images is to be formed from the predetermined position on the image holder, determines to start forming of the image for density correction from the predetermined position, instead of form
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Funayama, Naoki Hirako, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Izumi Suda
  • Publication number: 20100328710
    Abstract: A controller includes: a sub-control substrate that includes a first memory storing first control information to be used for controlling at least one of a plurality of modules of a processing apparatus, and controls the at least one of the plurality of modules by using the stored first control information while the controller is connected to the processing apparatus; and a main control substrate that includes a second memory and controls an operation of the sub-control substrate; and wherein: if a first operation is performed, the main control substrate acquires second control information that is to be used for controlling at least one of the plurality of modules and is determined from the first control information, and stores the acquired second control information in the second memory, when the controller is connected to the processing apparatus, and a second operation is performed, the main control substrate supplies the second control information stored in the second memory to another controller included
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo KIMURA, Naoki Hirako, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Hiroyuki Funayama, Izumi Suda
  • Publication number: 20100329722
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a forming unit that forms an image on an image holder that is a rotating body holding an image; a measuring unit that measures a rotation amount of the image holder with reference to a certain position on the image holder; a determining unit that: identifies a position on the image holder from which an image is to be formed by the forming unit, according to the rotation amount measured by the measuring unit; if, while a plurality of images are successively formed on the image holder, an image for density correction is to be formed, postpones forming of the image for density correction until a timing arrives at which one image of the plurality of images is to be formed from a predetermined position on the image holder, and when the timing arrives at which the one image of the plurality of images is to be formed from the predetermined position on the image holder, determines to start forming of the image for density correction from the predetermined position, instead of form
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki FUNAYAMA, Naoki Hirako, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Izumi Suda
  • Publication number: 20100328709
    Abstract: A supply control device includes: a deciding unit that decides an order of plural containers that supply recording media to an image-forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a specifying unit that specifies one of the plural containers; a determining unit that determines for each of the plural containers whether recording media stored in the container are available for forming an image, in the order decided by the deciding unit, in which the container specified by the specifying unit is set as a starting point; and a supply unit that retrieves a recording medium from a container whose recording media have been determined by the determining unit to be available for forming an image, and supplies the recording medium to the image-forming unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki HIRAKO, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Hiroyuki Funayama, Izumi Suda
  • Publication number: 20100221024
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image formation unit, a conveying unit and controller. The image formation unit includes a rotating photoreceptor, a latent image formation unit, a developing unit, a first transfer unit, and a second transfer unit. Regardless of forming or not forming on the photoreceptor a belt-shaped image which is not being transferred onto a recording medium, the controller controls the image forming unit such that formation of an image quality adjusting image that is not transferred to the recording medium starts from a predetermined position in a rotational direction of the photoreceptor, and such that the recorded image is formed further downstream in the rotational direction of the photoreceptor than an image quality adjusting image region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki FUNAYAMA, Naoki Hirako, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Mitsugu Kamio, Shun Kuwahara, Izumi Suda
  • Publication number: 20100118319
    Abstract: An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus; a first recording member; a second recording member storage; and a control unit that, when the image forming apparatus firstly forms an image on a first recording member and secondly forms an image on a second recording member, executes a first control in which the discharge of the second recording member from the second recording member storage is carried out before the discharge of the first recording member from the first recording member storage, and a second control in which the discharge of the second recording member from the second recording member storage is carried out after the discharge of the first recording member from the first recording member storage, the control unit selecting any one of the first and second controls according to the number of the first recording members stored in the first recording member storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki HIRAKO, Keita Kumokiri
  • Patent number: 6758471
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus allows duplex print to be performed using tabbed sheets. A plurality of paper sensors A, B, C, D, E, and F are installed on a paper output side of a paper tray 20 in a direction perpendicular to a sheet transport direction. The location of a tab 12 and the tab length in the transport direction are determined from a difference in timings of the rise or fall of output signals from the paper sensors A-F. When the tab 12 is located on the leading edge of the sheet in the transport direction and does not traverse a transport control sensor X, operation timing of a device &agr; which is activated based on the timing of the rising of output signal from the transport control sensor X is advanced by an amount corresponding to the length of the tab 12. On the other hand, when the tab 12 traverses the transport control sensor X, or when a sheet without a tab is used, the operation timing is not advanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Hirako
  • Publication number: 20030173735
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus allows duplex print to be performed using tabbed sheets. A plurality of paper sensors A, B, C, D, E, and F are installed on a paper output side of a paper tray 20 in a direction perpendicular to a sheet transport direction. The location of a tab 12 and the tab length in the transport direction are determined from a difference in timings of the rise or fall of output signals from the paper sensors A-F. When the tab 12 is located on the leading edge of the sheet in the transport direction and does not traverse a transport control sensor X, operation timing of a device a which is activated based on the timing of the rising of output signal from the transport control sensor X is advanced by an amount corresponding to the length of the tab 12. On the other hand, when the tab 12 traverses the transport control sensor X, or when a sheet without a tab is used, the operation timing is not advanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventor: Naoki Hirako
  • Patent number: 6560415
    Abstract: As a control method of an image formation apparatus 1 having an image formation apparatus main unit 2 and a postprocessing unit 3, when paper jam (1) occurs in the postprocessing unit 3, paper jam (2) is caused to occur at a paper ejection position at the last stage in the image formation apparatus main unit 2 and the paper stop position is controlled in the image formation apparatus main unit 2 based on the paper jam (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Hirako, Yoshiyuki Mizuki, Takashi Nagai, Yuichi Deguchi, Shinya Utsushikawa
  • Publication number: 20020071684
    Abstract: As a control method of an image formation apparatus 1 having an image formation apparatus main unit 2 and a postprocessing unit 3, when paper jam (1) occurs in the postprocessing unit 3, paper jam (2) is caused to occur at a paper ejection position at the last stage in the image formation apparatus main unit 2 and the paper stop position is controlled in the image formation apparatus main unit 2 based on the paper jam (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Applicant: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Hirako, Yoshiyuki Mizuki, Takashi Nagai, Yuichi Deguchi, Shinya Utsushikawa
  • Patent number: 6154621
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which can compatibly realize maintenance of optimum fixing speeds according to fixing characteristics of recording sheets and toner images and a reduction in the size of the apparatus itself as well as an improvement in the productivity of image formation, and which is free of many restrictions such as sizes, transfer speeds, fixing speeds and transfer positions of recording media to be used as well as lengths and fixing positions of transporting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Yamamoto, Makoto Ochiai, Masato Saito, Naoki Hirako