Patents by Inventor Shigeru Arai

Shigeru Arai 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: 20240168423
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transporter including a gripper to grip a recording medium; an image former that forms a developer image on a transfer body; a transferrer that transfers the developer image to the recording medium by bringing the transfer body with the developer image formed into contact with a transfer cylinder having space to store the gripper; and a processor configured to: correct a density of the developer image formed in the image former, using information related to speed variation of the transfer body when the developer image is transferred to the recording medium, so that density unevenness in an image formed on the recording medium is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yutaka KIUCHI, Shigeru Arai, Yuma Motegi, Ko Umenai
  • Patent number: 11366416
    Abstract: A light-emitting-device head includes a first light-emitting-device arrangement including light emitting devices arranged in lines extending in a first scanning direction; a second light-emitting-device arrangement including light emitting devices arranged in lines extending in a first scanning direction, the second light-emitting-device arrangement overlapping the first light-emitting-device arrangement in a second scanning direction at least in part; an optical device that forms an electrostatic latent image by focusing light emitted from the light emitting devices on a photoconductor and exposing the photoconductor to the light; and a switching unit that switches the light-emitting-device arrangement to be lit up between the first light-emitting-device arrangement and the second light-emitting-device arrangement at a switching position defined at any position in an overlapping portion where the first light-emitting-device arrangement and the second light-emitting-device arrangement overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shigeru Arai, Kyoji Yagi, Shun Yashima, Junichiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20220091549
    Abstract: A light-emitting-device head includes a first light-emitting-device arrangement including light emitting devices arranged in lines extending in a first scanning direction; a second light-emitting-device arrangement including light emitting devices arranged in lines extending in a first scanning direction, the second light-emitting-device arrangement overlapping the first light-emitting-device arrangement in a second scanning direction at least in part; an optical device that forms an electrostatic latent image by focusing light emitted from the light emitting devices on a photoconductor and exposing the photoconductor to the light; and a switching unit that switches the light-emitting-device arrangement to be lit up between the first light-emitting-device arrangement and the second light-emitting-device arrangement at a switching position defined at any position in an overlapping portion where the first light-emitting-device arrangement and the second light-emitting-device arrangement overlap each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru ARAI, Kyoji YAGI, Shun YASHIMA, Junichiro MORI
  • Publication number: 20220091532
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner-image-forming unit that forms a toner image by using a first light-emitting-device arrangement and a second light-emitting-device arrangement in each of which light-emitting devices are arranged in lines extending in a first scanning direction, the second light-emitting-device arrangement overlapping the first light-emitting-device arrangement in a second scanning direction at least in part, and an optical device that forms an electrostatic latent image by focusing light emitted from the light-emitting devices on a photoconductor and exposing the photoconductor to the light; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium and finishes the image; a switching unit that switches the light-emitting-device arrangement to be lit up between the first light-emitting-device arrangement and the second light-emitting-device arrangement at a switching position defined at any posit
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru ARAI, Kyoji YAGI, Ken TSUCHIYA
  • Patent number: 11048187
    Abstract: An exposure control device includes an exposure light amount calculator that obtains, for each of correction points that are associated with a respective one of primary correction values and are separated from each other, a correction factor for correcting the primary correction value of the correction point, based on a pixel value of the correction point, calculates, for each correction point, a secondary correction value based on the primary correction value and the correction factor of the correction point, and calculates a distribution of the secondary correction values on an image based on the secondary correction values of the correction points, and an exposure controller that causes an exposure unit to form a latent image by exposure to light having a corrected light amount obtained by correcting a light amount corresponding to a pixel value of each point based on the secondary correction value of the point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shigeru Arai
  • Patent number: 10394174
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a determination unit and a continuous tone processing unit. The determination unit determines an end of a continuous tone image part in which a density changes continuously, the continuous tone image part being included in image information. The continuous tone processing unit performs, in a case where a number of levels of density of a print image in the image forming apparatus is larger than a number of levels of density of the image information, continuous tone processing for causing a density of a pixel group in which adjacent pixels have a same density to be changed continuously when increasing the number of levels of the density in an end portion of the continuous tone image part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Arai, Kaori Tominaga, Taro Yokose
  • Publication number: 20180120746
    Abstract: An image forming method includes performing image correction on a region where an image is to be corrected by using correction information set based on a development condition, the region being determined based on a density difference in the image to be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru ARAI
  • Publication number: 20180059600
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a determination unit and a continuous tone processing unit. The determination unit determines an end of a continuous tone image part in which a density changes continuously, the continuous tone image part being included in image information. The continuous tone processing unit performs, in a case where a number of levels of density of a print image in the image forming apparatus is larger than a number of levels of density of the image information, continuous tone processing for causing a density of a pixel group in which adjacent pixels have a same density to be changed continuously when increasing the number of levels of the density in an end portion of the continuous tone image part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru ARAI, Kaori TOMINAGA, Taro YOKOSE
  • Patent number: 9696650
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit in which multiple chips including multiple light emitting elements are arranged in a main scanning direction, the image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium, a reading unit that reads the image fixed on the recording medium by a fixing unit, a density specification unit that specifies a density of a region in the image for each of the chips, the region corresponding to each of the chips, a correction amount specification unit that specifies a correction amount of light quantity from the chip based on an approximate value obtained by approximating the density of a region corresponding to a chip arranged in a predetermined range from a chip for which the correction amount of the light quantity is specified, and a correction unit that corrects the light quantity in accordance with the correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Takaishi, Shigeru Arai
  • Publication number: 20170045839
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit in which multiple chips including multiple light emitting elements are arranged in a main scanning direction, the image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium, a reading unit that reads the image fixed on the recording medium by a fixing unit, a density specification unit that specifies a density of a region in the image for each of the chips, the region corresponding to each of the chips, a correction amount specification unit that specifies a correction amount of light quantity from the chip based on an approximate value obtained by approximating the density of a region corresponding to a chip arranged in a predetermined range from a chip for which the correction amount of the light quantity is specified, and a correction unit that corrects the light quantity in accordance with the correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya TAKAISHI, Shigeru ARAI
  • Publication number: 20170023181
    Abstract: Provided are a hydrogen compressor and a hydrogen filling system capable of increasing purity of a hydrogen gas via surely discharging oil trapped from a discharged gas and accumulated in a vessel even during operation of the compressor, and also preventing leakage of the hydrogen gas from an oil discharge pipe. The hydrogen compressor includes vessels of a snubber and a filter each arranged at a downstream side of the final compressing stage of the compressor. The hydrogen compressor further includes oil discharge pipes each connected with a bottom of each vessel, and level sensors each detecting a level of oil accumulated in each vessel. The oil discharge pipes include automatic valves configured to open/close based on detection values of the level sensors. The oil discharge pipes join to be an oil discharge pipe including a manual valve controlling an oil flow rate in the oil discharge pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro INOUE, Shigeru ARAI, Shuzo HONDA
  • Patent number: 9426314
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including an acquisition unit that acquires first image information which is image information configured of plural pixels and which includes density information for each pixel, a first correction unit that corrects pixel density based on the first image information, a storage unit that stores image information obtained after the first correction unit performs the correction as second image information, a second correction unit that performs a reverse correction so as to cancel the correction by the first correction unit based on density of a pixel of the second image information, a display unit that displays an image on a display section based on third image information which is image information obtained after the second correction unit performs the reverse correction, and a transmission unit that transmits the second image information to an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Arai, Masaomi Sakamoto, Tomoshi Hara, Masahiko Kubo, Nobukazu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9267663
    Abstract: Light having little color inconsistency is effectively emitted with a simple structure achieving favorable productivity. A plurality of multi-color light emitting diodes comprising a plurality of LED chips having different light emission colors is disposed on the same surface such that the light emitted by the plurality of the multi-color light emitting diodes is mixed and emitted in a illumination device, wherein at least one multi-color light emitting diode from among the plurality of multi-color light emitting diodes is disposed while being rotated by a prescribed angle with reference to one other multi-color light emitting diode in such a manner that when translating the one multi-color light emitting diode so as to overlap with the one other multi-color light emitting diode, LED chips having the same light emission color do not overlap with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: JAPAN APPLIED OPTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Arai
  • Patent number: 9251445
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a first detection unit, a first determination unit, a second detection unit, a second determination unit, a correction unit, and a transmitting unit. The acquisition unit acquires image information having multiple pixels. The first detection unit detects sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in accordance with the image information. The first determination unit determines whether or not a development-related defect occurs in a preset number of pixels downstream of the sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in the sub-scanning direction. The second detection unit detects an end pixel in the main scanning direction. The second determination unit determines whether or not each of sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels arranged in the main scanning direction is close to the end pixel in the main scanning direction. The correction unit corrects the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Arai, Tomoshi Hara, Masahiko Kubo, Nobukazu Takahashi, Shinichiro Fujimori, Takashi Ochi
  • Publication number: 20150262045
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a first detection unit, a first determination unit, a second detection unit, a second determination unit, a correction unit, and a transmitting unit. The acquisition unit acquires image information having multiple pixels. The first detection unit detects sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in accordance with the image information. The first determination unit determines whether or not a development-related defect occurs in a preset number of pixels downstream of the sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in the sub-scanning direction. The second detection unit detects an end pixel in the main scanning direction. The second determination unit determines whether or not each of sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels arranged in the main scanning direction is close to the end pixel in the main scanning direction. The correction unit corrects the image information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru ARAI, Tomoshi HARA, Masahiko KUBO, Nobukazu TAKAHASHI, Shinichiro FUJIMORI, Takashi OCHI
  • Publication number: 20150264190
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including an acquisition unit that acquires first image information which is image information configured of plural pixels and which includes density information for each pixel, a first correction unit that corrects pixel density based on the first image information, a storage unit that stores image information obtained after the first correction unit performs the correction as second image information, a second correction unit that performs a reverse correction so as to cancel the correction by the first correction unit based on density of a pixel of the second image information, a display unit that displays an image on a display section based on third image information which is image information obtained after the second correction unit performs the reverse correction, and a transmission unit that transmits the second image information to an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru ARAI, Masaomi SAKAMOTO, Tomoshi HARA, Masahiko KUBO, Nobukazu TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 9036210
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a detector that detects a target pixel as an outline pixel if a density of a predetermined region including the target pixel with each pixel of an image treated as the target pixel is equal to or above an outline determination threshold value, the outline determination threshold value being a threshold value set in response to the density of the target pixel, and being a threshold value used to determine whether the target pixel is an outline pixel corresponding to an outline of the image, and a correction unit that corrects a correction pixel, as a correction target having a density equal to or above a predetermined density from among the outline pixels detected by the detector, in response to a density of the correction pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Arai, Kenji Hara
  • Publication number: 20150002903
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a detector that detects a target pixel as an outline pixel if a density of a predetermined region including the target pixel with each pixel of an image treated as the target pixel is equal to or above an outline determination threshold value, the outline determination threshold value being a threshold value set in response to the density of the target pixel, and being a threshold value used to determine whether the target pixel is an outline pixel corresponding to an outline of the image, and a correction unit that corrects a correction pixel, as a correction target having a density equal to or above a predetermined density from among the outline pixels detected by the detector, in response to a density of the correction pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru ARAI, Kenji HARA
  • Patent number: 8902470
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a multi-level unit that applies a multi-level process on binary halftone dot image data indicating a binary halftone dot image, to form multi-level image data; an acquiring unit that acquires a number of screen lines of the binary halftone dot image data; a tone correcting unit that determines a tone correction amount corresponding to the number of screen lines of the binary halftone dot image data acquired by the acquiring unit, and that applies tone correction on the multi-level image data produced by the multi-level unit, by using the determined tone correction amount; and a re-binarizing unit that binarizes the multi-level image data in which the tone is corrected by the tone correcting unit, without changing a halftone dot shape of the binary halftone dot image data, to produce re-binarized halftone dot image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Misaizu, Kenji Hara, Shigeru Arai, Kota Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8724174
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an edge-portion detector, an edge-width detector, and a tone correction unit. The edge-portion detector detects a pixel of an edge portion by determining whether or not each of pixels constituting image data which has been input is a pixel which is included in the edge portion. The edge-width detector detects, for the pixel of the edge portion detected by the edge-portion detector, an edge width which is a width of the edge portion. When the edge width detected by the edge-width detector is smaller than a value which is set in advance, the tone correction unit performs tone correction differently in accordance with the detected edge width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Misaizu, Kenji Hara, Shigeru Arai, Koichi Matsubara, Kouta Matsuo