Patents by Inventor Natsuko KAWAI

Natsuko KAWAI 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: 10685441
    Abstract: A system for predicting occurrence of a defective image includes an observation distance obtainer which obtains an observation distance of an image to be formed by an image forming apparatus. The system (i) divides image data input to the image forming apparatus as an original of the image into regions of interest having a size determined based on the observation distance, (ii) analyzes a spatial frequency of a gradient distribution of the image with respect to each of the regions of interest, and (iii) calculates a probability of a target density irregularity being conspicuous in the image to be formed by the image forming apparatus based on the image data by using a correlation index between a result of the analysis and an evaluation value of the density irregularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Natsuko Kawai
  • Publication number: 20190264008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gel composition containing at least one kind of modified water-soluble hyaluronic acid selected from the group consisting of hyaluronic acid having an anionic modifying group and a salt of the hyaluronic acid and an ion of at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of elements belonging to from Period 3 to Period 6 and from Group 2 to Group 12 in Periodic Table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: Kewpie Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Seino, Shoichi Yoda, Natsuko Kawai
  • Patent number: 10203642
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a development current detector that detects an actual measurement value of a development current, a development current calculator that calculates a provisional calculation value of a development current based on an image formation condition, and an image-defect determiner that determines whether or not an image defect occurs, based on the actual measurement value of the development current detected by the development current detector and the provisional calculation value of the development current calculated by the development current calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroki Shibata, Wataru Watanabe, Keiki Katsumata, Natsuko Kawai, Kazuhiro Saito, Hiroshi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 10198663
    Abstract: A system for predicting occurrence of a defective image includes: an input device configured to input image data into an image forming apparatus; and a hardware processor configured to analyze a spatial frequency of gradient distribution of an image in accordance with a size of a density irregularity specific to the image forming apparatus with respect to the input image data and to calculate a probability of a conspicuous density irregularity of the size in regard to the image formed by the image forming apparatus based on the image data with reference to an index of correlation between an analysis result and an evaluation value of the density irregularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kawai, Takashi Akazawa, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Ryoei Ikari, Kei Okamura, Keiji Uchikawa
  • Publication number: 20180253850
    Abstract: A system for predicting occurrence of a defective image includes an observation distance obtainer which obtains an observation distance of an image to be formed by an image forming apparatus. The system (i) divides image data input to the image forming apparatus as an original of the image into regions of interest having a size determined based on the observation distance, (ii) analyzes a spatial frequency of a gradient distribution of the image with respect to each of the regions of interest, and (iii) calculates a probability of a target density irregularity being conspicuous in the image to be formed by the image forming apparatus based on the image data by using a correlation index between a result of the analysis and an evaluation value of the density irregularity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Natsuko Kawai
  • Publication number: 20180107145
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a development current detector that detects an actual measurement value of a development current, a development current calculator that calculates a provisional calculation value of a development current based on an image formation condition, and an image-defect determiner that determines whether or not an image defect occurs, based on the actual measurement value of the development current detected by the development current detector and the provisional calculation value of the development current calculated by the development current calculator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIBATA, Wataru WATANABE, Keiki KATSUMATA, Natsuko KAWAI, Kazuhiro SAITO, Hiroshi MORIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9796555
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section configured to form a toner image on a sheet having a paste component; and an end pressing section provided on an upstream side of the image forming section in a sheet conveyance direction, and configured to exert a pressure on an end portion of the sheet while moving from a center toward an end of the sheet in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Furuta, Tomohiro Kawasaki, Shota Sakurai, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Natsuko Kawai
  • Publication number: 20170236036
    Abstract: A system for predicting occurrence of a defective image includes: an input device configured to input image data into an image forming apparatus; and a hardware processor configured to analyze a spatial frequency of gradient distribution of an image in accordance with a size of a density irregularity specific to the image forming apparatus with respect to the input image data and to calculate a probability of a conspicuous density irregularity of the size in regard to the image formed by the image forming apparatus based on the image data with reference to an index of correlation between an analysis result and an evaluation value of the density irregularity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Natsuko KAWAI, Takashi AKAZAWA, Tetsuya ISHIKAWA, Ryoei IKARI, Kei OKAMURA, Keiji UCHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 9696680
    Abstract: A transfer-section contamination prevention device includes: a powder housing section that is disposed on an upstream side relative to a transfer section in a sheet conveyance direction, and is capable of holding powder at a position near an end portion of a sheet in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction or capable of guiding the powder to the position near the end portion of the sheet, the sheet including a base material layer, a release layer and an adhesive layer containing adhesive agent disposed between the base material layer and the release layer, the transfer section being configured to transfer a toner image to the sheet; and a powder adhesion facilitation section configured to facilitate adhesion of the powder to the lateral end portion of the sheet from the powder housing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kawasaki, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Natsuko Kawai, Tatsuya Furuta, Shota Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9696664
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a second cleaning section, an image formation control section configured to control an image forming section to form a high-coverage patch on a transfer belt, and a cleaning control section configured to control the second cleaning section to perform cleaning of the patch on the transfer belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shota Sakurai, Tatsuya Furuta, Natsuko Kawai, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Tomohiro Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20160342113
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a second cleaning section, an image formation control section configured to control an image forming section to form a high-coverage patch on a transfer belt, and a cleaning control section configured to control the second cleaning section to perform cleaning of the patch on the transfer belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Shota SAKURAI, Tatsuya FURUTA, Natsuko KAWAI, Tetsuya ISHIKAWA, Tomohiro KAWASAKI
  • Publication number: 20160259292
    Abstract: A transfer-section contamination prevention device includes: a powder housing section that is disposed on an upstream side relative to a transfer section in a sheet conveyance direction, and is capable of holding powder at a position near an end portion of a sheet in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction or capable of guiding the powder to the position near the end portion of the sheet, the sheet including a base material layer, a release layer and an adhesive layer containing adhesive agent disposed between the base material layer and the release layer, the transfer section being configured to transfer a toner image to the sheet; and a powder adhesion facilitation section configured to facilitate adhesion of the powder to the lateral end portion of the sheet from the powder housing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro KAWASAKI, Tetsuya ISHIKAWA, Natsuko KAWAI, Tatsuya FURUTA, Shota SAKURAI
  • Publication number: 20160257521
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section configured to form a toner image on a sheet having a paste component; and an end pressing section provided on an upstream side of the image forming section in a sheet conveyance direction, and configured to exert a pressure on an end portion of the sheet while moving from a center toward an end of the sheet in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Tatsuya FURUTA, Tomohiro KAWASAKI, Shota SAKURAI, Tetsuya ISHIKAWA, Natsuko KAWAI