Patents by Inventor Naoto Watanabe

Naoto Watanabe 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).

  • Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system
    Patent number: 7900912
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus, including: an intermediate process tray which receives sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus as a sheet stack; a process unit which applies a predetermined process for the sheet stack received on the intermediate process tray; a pair of rollers which nips and delivers the sheet stack subjected to the predetermined process by the process unit; a stack tray which receives the sheet stack delivered by the pair of rollers; and a controller moves one roller of the pair of rollers to a standby position corresponding to a thickness of the sheet stack to be delivered onto the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Moriyama, Hitoshi Kato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Naoto Watanabe
  • Image forming apparatus for correcting a toner density target value
    Patent number: 7885556
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus a developing device develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier with a developer that contains toner to obtain a toner image, a toner-amount detecting unit detects amount of toner attached to the toner image, and a toner-density detecting unit detects a density of toner in the developer. Moreover, a process control unit corrects a toner-density target value indicative of a target value of density of toner in the developer based on the amount of toner detected by the toner-amount detecting unit and the density of toner detected by the toner-density detecting unit, and a determines execution timing of next process based on corrected toner-density target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohta Fujimori, Shin Hasegawa, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Hitoshi Ishibashi, Yushi Hirayama, Naoto Watanabe, Kayoko Tanaka, Kazumi Kobayashi, Takashi Enami, Osamu Ariizumi, Fukutoshi Uchida, Shinji Kobayashi, Shinji Kato, Ryohta Morimoto
  • Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7878496
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus for binding a sheet bundle by a binding member having a curved shape, including: a support portion configured to support, as a sheet bundle, a plurality of sheets having punch holes formed therein; an adjustment portion configured to adjust a position of each of punch holes formed in the sheet bundle so that a locus of centers of the punch holes continuing in a thickness direction of the sheet bundle supported by the support portion is aligned with the curved shape of the binding member; and an attaching portion configured to attach the binding member to the punch holes of the sheet bundle in which the position of each of the plurality of sheets is adjusted by the adjustment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujii, Manabu Yamauchi, Naoto Watanabe, Shunsuke Nishimura, Yushi Oka, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Hidenori Matsumoto
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7878495
    Abstract: Timing information for use to determine the timing to discharge a sheet from an image forming apparatus is transmitted. The timing information is relayed, by being edited repeatedly, from a first sheet processing apparatus connected directly with the image forming apparatus to a second sheet processing apparatus which actually processes the sheet. The timing information is edited on each sheet processing apparatus by considering, for example, transit time of the sheet, processing time of the sheet, preparation time for the sheet to get ready to be processed, and the like. The second sheet processing apparatus transmits the timing information to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus determines the discharge timing of the sheet based on the received timing information and discharges the sheet with the determined discharge timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nishimura, Manabu Yamauchi, Naoto Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Mitsuhiko Sato, Hidenori Sunada, Ichiro Sasaki, Akinobu Nishikata
  • Image forming apparatus and image density control method
    Patent number: 7881629
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus and an image density control method that are capable of suppressing the amount of toner consumed for a purpose other than image formation and responding to variation in the development ability of a development device due to environmental variation and the like such that a constant image density is obtained, the image density is maintained at a substantially fixed level by first target output value correcting means in accordance with a toner replacement amount and without consuming toner, and adjustment of the image density accompanying variation in the development ability due to environmental variation and the like is dealt with by second target output value correcting means in accordance with a toner pattern detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Takeuchi, Hitoshi Ishibashi, Kohta Fujimori, Kayoko Tanaka, Yushi Hirayama, Naoto Watanabe
  • Image forming system and control method for the same
    Patent number: 7877056
    Abstract: An image forming system comprises a selection unit for selecting a post-processing apparatus that executes post-processing to a recording medium on which an image is formed from among a plurality of post-processing apparatuses, and a selection limitation unit for determining an insertion apparatus whose supply of the insertion medium to be limited for a selected post-processing apparatus and limiting selection of the insertion apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yokoya, Ichiro Sasaki, Mitsuhiko Sato, Hidenori Sunada, Manabu Yamauchi, Naoto Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Shunsuke Nishimura, Akinobu Nishikata, Toshiyuki Miyake
  • SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20110008089
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus which includes a punch portion punching a hole at an end part of a sheet, and a push-out member discharging the sheet by pushing the end part of the sheet where the punch process is performed by the punch portion; and the push-out member discharges the sheet at a sheet discharging speed lower than a predetermined speed from the intermediate process tray in accordance with punch process information (i.e., combination of a size and a type of the sheet and number, a shape and a size of holes) that strength of a sheet end part is decreased by the punch process, and is lower than predetermined sheet strength capable of being discharged at the predetermined speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoto Watanabe, Manabu Yamauchi, Takayuki Fujii, Satoru Yamamoto, Yushi Oka, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Shunsuke Nishimura, Hidenori Matsumoto
  • Sheet post-processing apparatus, image forming system and power saving control method
    Patent number: 7865106
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus has a sheet conveying portion which receives and conveys a sheet discharged from an apparatus on an upstream side, and discharges it to an apparatus on a downstream side or a discharge tray, a sheet post-processing portion which carried out post-processing on the sheet, and a power saving control portion which renders the sheet post-processing apparatus into a power saving state, and the power saving control portion maintains electric power supply to the sheet conveying portion, and interrupts electric power supply to the sheet post-processing portion. The sheet post-processing apparatus, even in the power saving state, is capable of discharging the sheet discharged from the apparatus on the upstream side to the apparatus on the downstream side or a discharge tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Shunsuke Nishimura, Yushi Oka, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Manabu Yamauchi
  • IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND THUMBNAIL IMAGE DISPLAYING METHOD
    Publication number: 20100328514
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus generates display data and index data. The display data includes compressed image data and thumbnail image data. The index data indicates the locations of the thumbnail image data in the display data. The imaging apparatus outputs the display data that is appended with the index data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Takashi HOSOE, Atsushi Takeda, Hiroyasu Kunimi, Naoto Watanabe, Akifumi Matsushita
  • SHEET STACKING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20100320679
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a stack unit which includes a first stack tray and a second stack tray which can be individually elevated and is configured to stack a sheet on at least one of the first stack tray and the second tray, and a control unit configured to control the stack unit to stack the sheet in a first stack mode in which the sheet is stacked on at least one of the first stack tray and the second stack tray without being extended over the first stack tray and the second stack tray and a second stack mode in which the sheet is stacked on across the first stack tray and the second stack tray, the control unit capable of selecting the first stack mode and the second stack mode with respect to a same size sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Naoto Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Yushi Oka, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando
  • SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20100314049
    Abstract: The sheet processing apparatus includes a buffer roller to form a sheet bundle by overlapping a plurality of sheets while respectively displacing an end part of each sheet at one end of the conveying direction toward the conveying direction, a fold conveying path to fold the displaced and overlapped sheet bundle twice into three layers so that the end part at one end covers an end part at the other end and the end parts at the one end are respectively exposed, and a sealer to seal the sheet bundle by adhering the end part at the one end of the twice-folded sheet bundle to a surface of the sheet bundle with a seal. The sealer adheres all of the end parts at the one end and the surface of the sheet bundle with a seal having length longer than exposed length of the end parts at the one end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Manabu Yamauchi, Naoto Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Shunsuke Nishimura, Satoru Yamamoto, Yushi Oka, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Hidenori Matsumoto
  • IMAGE FOMRING APARATUS AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING CHARGE BIAS
    Publication number: 20100278549
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. The AC voltage applied to the charger in an adjustment of the AC voltage is not less than twice a charging start voltage Vth at which the image carrier starts to be charged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Hitoshi ISHIBASHI, Kohta FUJIMORI, Shin HASEGAWA, Yushi HIRAYAMA, Nobutaka TAKEUCHI, Shinji KATO, Kayoko TANAKA, Naoto WATANABE, Kentaroh TOMITA, Satoru KOMATSUBARA, Akio KOSUGE
  • Sheet conveying apparatus and book binding apparatus
    Patent number: 7823867
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes first and second conveying paths. The first conveying path is configured to receive a sheet from a device connected at an upstream side in a sheet conveying direction so as to transfer the sheet to a device connected at a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The second conveying path intersects with the first conveying path. A controller switches between a first operation mode and a second operation mode. In the first operation mode, the sheet is conveyed along the first conveying path, and in the second operation mode, the sheet is conveyed along the second conveying path. The controller controls a sheet conveying operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with the state of the sheet on the second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiko Sato, Hidenori Sunada, Naoto Watanabe, Takashi Yokoya
  • Method and apparatus for image forming capable of accurately detecting displacement of transfer images and image density
    Patent number: 7821677
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an image forming mechanism, a seamless belt-like intermediate transfer body or a transfer material carrier, a detection mechanism, and an optical detecting apparatus. The optical detecting apparatus includes at least a printed board, and a plurality of photodetectors formed of a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element and light-shielding members, which are mounted on the printed board. The optical detecting apparatus is disposed such that it detects a belt surface adjacent to rollers of the intermediate transfer body or the transfer material carrier, and either displacement of a transfer image or image density is detected by a plurality of photodetectors detecting pattern images which are transferred from the plurality of image carriers to the image transfer body or the transfer material carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kayoko Tanaka, Kohta Fujimori, Shin Hasegawa, Shinji Kato, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Naoto Watanabe, Yuushi Hirayama, Hitoshi Ishibashi, Osamu Ariizumi, Takashi Enami, Kazumi Kobayashi, Shinji Kobayashi, Fukutoshi Uchida, Ryohta Morimoto
  • SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20100247203
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which has a flattening processing unit which presses a folded end of a folded booklet bundle to flatten the folded end, and cutting units which cut and align edges of the booklet bundle, wherein the edges crossing the folded end of the booklet bundle are cut by the cutting unit and the folded end of the booklet is then flattened by the flattening processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoto Watanabe, Manabu Yamauchi, Takayuki Fujii, Shunsuke Nishimura, Yushi Oka, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Hidenori Matsumoto
  • Image forming condition adjustment control for image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7796902
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charge unit, an exposure unit, an exposure voltage detector, a development unit, and a concentration detector. The exposure voltage detector detects a potential of latent image formed as a test pattern on an image carrier. The concentration detector detects concentration of developed test pattern. The image forming apparatus further includes an exposure power controller, an exposure ratio controller, a charging voltage controller, a development bias voltage controller, and an image forming condition adjustment controller. A suitable image forming condition is computed using test patterns formed by changing combinations of charging voltage, exposure power, and exposure duty. The charging voltage is changed in two levels or more. The exposure power is changed in three levels or more. The exposure duty per unit area is changed in two levels or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Watanabe, Tatsuya Niimi, Hitoshi Ishibashi
  • Sheet processing apparatus with controller for controlling sheet supply unit
    Patent number: 7780159
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus comprising a sheet holding device capable of storing supplied sheets, a first sheet stacking tray on which sheets are stacked at a downstream side of the sheet holding device in a sheet conveying direction and on which the sheets are subjected to processing, a sheet discharging device for discharging the sheets stacked on the first sheet stacking tray, a second sheet stacking tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device are stacked, and a controller for controlling the sheet discharging device and the sheet holding device if sheet jam occurs at an upstream side of the sheet holding device, in such a manner that, after the sheets on the first sheet stacking tray are discharged onto the second sheet stacking tray, the sheets stored in the sheet holding device are discharged onto the first sheet stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nishimura, Yoshinori Isobe, Masatoshi Yaginuma, Naoto Watanabe, Masahiro Yonenuma
  • Image forming apparatus and method of adjusting charge bias
    Patent number: 7778560
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. A controller performs an adjustment to the AC voltage multiple times to gradually bring the AC voltage to a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ishibashi, Kohta Fujimori, Shin Hasegawa, Yushi Hirayama, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Shinji Kato, Kayoko Tanaka, Naoto Watanabe, Kentaroh Tomita, Satoru Komatsubara, Akio Kosuge
  • LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS, OPTICAL-BEAM SCANNING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20100183337
    Abstract: A light source apparatus includes a circuit board on which a light source unit including a vertical-cavity surface-emitting light source and a package that houses the vertical-cavity surface-emitting light source is mounted, an optical element holder that holds a plurality of optical elements including at least a coupling lens, and an intermediate holder that is arranged between the circuit board and the optical element holder. The intermediate holder is joined to the circuit board to cover an area of the circuit board on which the light source unit is mounted to thereby make contact with the package such that the vertical-cavity surface-emitting light source is positioned and fixed and joined to the optical element holder to thereby position the optical elements to the vertical-cavity surface-emitting light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuaki Kubo, Yasuhiro Naoe, Tomohiro Nakajima, Naoto Watanabe
  • Image forming apparatus, sheet processing apparatus, and method of controlling the sheet processing apparatus
    Patent number: 7726641
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which enables the user to easily remove a sheet bundle left in the apparatus after a bookbinding-mode job is stopped in the middle of execution thereof. In a bookbinding mode of the apparatus, in a sheet stacking section, a plurality of sheets having images formed thereon are stacked as a sheet bundle; in a gluing section, glue is applied to an end face of the sheet bundle; and in a bonding section, a cover sheet is bonded to the sheet bundle to wrap the sheet bundle in the cover sheet. When a bookbinding-mode job is canceled during execution thereof, in the gluing section, glue is applied to the sheet bundle stacked in the stacking section before the job is stopped, and a discharge section discharges the glue-applied sheet bundle which is neither wrapped nor trimmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Manabu Yamauchi, Naoto Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Shunsuke Nishimura, Yushi Oka, Takashi Yokoya