Patents by Inventor Shigeru Yoshigai

Shigeru Yoshigai 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: 20230399187
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a holder configured to hold a medium; a conveyor configured to convey the holder; a printing device configured to print on the medium conveyed by the conveyor in response to a reception of a print instruction; and circuitry configure to: maintain the printing device in a busy state; receive the print instruction in the busy state; control the conveyor to start conveying the holder to a print start position in response to a reception of the print instruction in the busy state; hold the holder at the print start position in the busy state; and control the printing device to start printing on the medium in response to a release of the printing device from the busy state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventor: Shigeru YOSHIGAI
  • Patent number: 11772394
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a platen to hold a medium; a liquid discharge head to discharge a liquid onto the medium on the platen according to discharge instruction information containing a type of the platen as a designated platen type; an operation panel to display a selection operation screen in which a type of the platen is selectable from the multiple platen types as a selected platen type; and circuitry to: control the operation panel to display the selection operation screen; determine whether the selected platen type matches a first specific platen type; determine whether the designated platen type matches a second specific platen type; control the operation panel to display warning in response to a determination; and control the liquid discharge head to continue to discharge the liquid in response to a determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Publication number: 20230234373
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a sub-scanning carriage moves a recording medium in a conveyance direction. A first carriage and a second carriage move in a main scanning direction and discharge a liquid and another liquid onto the recording medium to print a first image and a second image on the recording medium, respectively. Circuitry executes a first print sequence and a second print sequence. Further, the circuitry calculates a drying time of the liquid to form the first image by the first carriage, determines whether to execute the second print sequence based on the drying time, causes the first carriage and the second carriage to execute the second print sequence when the circuitry determines to execute the second print sequence, and causes the first carriage and the second carriage to execute the first print sequence when the circuitry determines not to execute the second print sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Publication number: 20230044459
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a platen to hold a medium; a liquid discharge head to discharge a liquid onto the medium on the platen according to discharge instruction information containing a type of the platen as a designated platen type; an operation panel to display a selection operation screen in which a type of the platen is selectable from the multiple platen types as a selected platen type; and circuitry to: control the operation panel to display the selection operation screen; determine whether the selected platen type matches a first specific platen type; determine whether the designated platen type matches a second specific platen type; control the operation panel to display warning in response to a determination; and control the liquid discharge head to continue to discharge the liquid in response to a determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Publication number: 20220274396
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid, a liquid cartridge configured to store the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head, a holder to which the liquid cartridge is detachably attachable, a timer configured to countdown a time, and circuitry configured to control the liquid discharge head to discharge the liquid as a discharge operation, control the liquid discharge head to stop the discharge operation, determine an attachment or a detachment of the liquid cartridge to or from the holder while the discharge operation is stopped, control the timer to prepare countdown of the time in response to a detachment of the liquid cartridge from the holder, and control the liquid discharge head to continue stopping the discharge operation in response to an attachment of the liquid cartridge to the holder before the time has reached zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Patent number: 10848635
    Abstract: An information processing device includes circuitry. The circuitry is configured to control a temperature of a heater. The heater performs heating in a printing process. The circuitry is further configured to measure an elapsed time from satisfaction of a given condition, and to determine whether the elapsed time is equal to or longer than a given time. The circuitry is configured to cause the temperature of the heater to rise based on a determination that the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Publication number: 20190289161
    Abstract: An information processing device includes circuitry. The circuitry is configured to control a temperature of a heater. The heater performs heating in a printing process. The circuitry is further configured to measure an elapsed time from satisfaction of a given condition, and to determine whether the elapsed time is equal to or longer than a given time. The circuitry is configured to cause the temperature of the heater to rise based on a determination that the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the given time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Publication number: 20170015112
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head that records an image on an recording medium by repeating operation of ejecting an ink droplet from a nozzle on the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, while being moved in a main scanning direction with respect to the recording medium, an edge detector that detects two or more edges in the main scanning direction of the recording medium along the sub-scanning direction, and circuitry that determines a recording area of the recording medium based on a detection result by the edge detector, the recording area being an area where the image is recorded by the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru YOSHIGAI
  • Patent number: 9308754
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a recording medium; a reversing unit configured to reverse front and back sides of the recording medium; a recording head configured to reciprocatingly scan to form a first image on a first side of the recording medium, which is reciprocatingly conveyed by the conveyance unit at a first conveyance speed V1, and a second image on a second side of the recording medium, which is conveyed at a second conveyance speed V2 and ejected, in a case of performing a double-sided printing; and a control unit configured to control the first conveyance speed V1 and the second conveyance speed V2 to satisfy a relation V2?W/t<V1?(W/t)×2, where t is a scanning time required for one reciprocation of the recording head, and W is an image formation width of the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sasaki, Yuuichiroh Tsujiguchi, Takuji Kawaguchi, Shigeru Yoshigai, Keizoh Shigaki
  • Publication number: 20160082753
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a recording medium; a reversing unit configured to reverse front and back sides of the recording medium; a recording head configured to reciprocatingly scan to form a first image on a first side of the recording medium, which is reciprocatingly conveyed by the conveyance unit at a first conveyance speed V1, and a second image on a second side of the recording medium, which is conveyed at a second conveyance speed V2 and ejected, in a case of performing a double-sided printing; and a control unit configured to control the first conveyance speed V1 and the second conveyance speed V2 to satisfy a relation V2?W/t<V1?(W/t)×2, where t is a scanning time required for one reciprocation of the recording head, and W is an image formation width of the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sasaki, Yuuichiroh Tsujiguchi, Takuji Kawaguchi, Shigeru Yoshigai, Keizoh Shigaki
  • Publication number: 20160067989
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a recording medium; a recording head that reciprocates in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording medium while the recording medium is being conveyed by the conveying unit, the recording head forming an image on the recording medium; a reception unit that receives scan image data, the scan image data being used to form the image, while the recording head waits in a non-printing region of the recording medium; and a control unit that controls a conveyance distance of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit while the recording head waits in the non-printing region. The control of the conveyance distance of the recording medium is determined based on a scan image data reception period of the scan image data, the scan image data reception period being obtained from a communication speed of the reception unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Yoshigai, Yuuichiroh Tsujiguchi, Hitoshi Sasaki, Takuji Kawaguchi, Keizoh Shigaki
  • Patent number: 8228512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that forms an image based on a control signal from an image processing controlling unit that processes input image information into image data. The apparatus includes a carriage that moves in a main scanning direction in accordance with the control signal; a conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction; an output detection unit that detects motor outputs of the carriage at any plural points when the carriage moves at a constant speed; and a jamming determination unit that compares an average value of the motor outputs of the carriage between the plural points with a predetermined tolerance to determine a conveyance failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Ogura, Tetsuyoshi Nakata, Shigeru Yoshigai, Toshihiro Yamashiro
  • Patent number: 8020959
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a control program therefor. The apparatus includes an image processing control unit to process image information sent from an external device, a carriage to move in a main scanning direction according to a control signal sent from the image processing control unit and having a nozzle to discharge an ink onto a recording medium, a conveyance unit to convey the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, and a conveyance failure detection unit to detect a status of the recording medium. The image processing control unit identifies a type of a conveyance failure among a plurality of types of conveyance failures based on the status of the recording medium output from the conveyance failure detection unit and sends a conveyance failure correction signal to perform an operation for retracting the carriage to a predetermined or desired position in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yamashiro, Shigeru Yoshigai, Yoshimitsu Ogura, Tetsuyoshi Nakata
  • Patent number: 7789475
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control unit determines that dirt is present on the linear scale when a detecting unit detects a change in a moving direction of a moving member while the moving member is moving at a constant speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Morishita, Yoshimitsu Ogura, Kenji Kagami, Jun Watanabe, Yuji Ieiri, Tomokazu Tsuchiya, Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Publication number: 20090237744
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that forms an image based on a control signal from an image processing controlling unit that processes input image information into image data. The apparatus includes a carriage that moves in a main scanning direction in accordance with the control signal; a conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction; an output detection unit that detects motor outputs of the carriage at any plural points when the carriage moves at a constant speed; and a jamming determination unit that compares an average value of the motor outputs of the carriage between the plural points with a predetermined tolerance to determine a conveyance failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Ogura, Tetsuyoshi Nakata, Shigeru Yoshigai, Toshihiro Yamashiro
  • Publication number: 20090028586
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a control program therefor. The apparatus includes an image processing control unit to process image information sent from an external device, a carriage to move in a main scanning direction according to a control signal sent from the image processing control unit and having a nozzle to discharge an ink onto a recording medium, a conveyance unit to convey the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, and a conveyance failure detection unit to detect a status of the recording medium. The image processing control unit identifies a type of a conveyance failure among a plurality of types of conveyance failures based on the status of the recording medium output from the conveyance failure detection unit and sends a conveyance failure correction signal to perform an operation for retracting the carriage to a predetermined or desired position in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yamashiro, Shigeru Yoshigai, Yoshimitsu Ogura, Tetsuyoshi Nakata
  • Publication number: 20080225070
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control unit determines that dirt is present on the linear scale when a detecting unit detects a change in a moving direction of a moving member while the moving member is moving at a constant speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Takashi Morishita, Yoshimitsu Ogura, Kenji Kagami, Jun Watanabe, Yuji Ieiri, Tomokazu Tsuchiya, Shigeru Yoshigai