Patents by Inventor Sho KOIKE

Sho KOIKE 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: 20240090679
    Abstract: A seating detection device includes a sensor, a coupler, a power supply, a switch, and a controller. The sensor forms an electric field to detect a change in an electrostatic capacitance. The coupler couples the sensor to a chair. The power supply supplies power for forming the electric field to the sensor. The switch controls transmission of power from the power supply to the sensor. After the switch is turned on, the controller sets a seating threshold based on the change in electrostatic capacitance detected by the sensor. The seating threshold represents a threshold amount of electrostatic capacitance. The controller determines whether an occupant is seated on the chair based on the seating threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sho KOIKE
  • Patent number: 11878893
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a paper-length detection device includes: a moving mechanism and an angle sensor. The moving mechanism supports a magnet. The moving mechanism causes a first regulatory member to move closer to or further from a second regulatory member in accordance with movement of the first regulatory member. The moving mechanism further causes the magnet to rotate in accordance with the movement of the first regulatory member closer to or further from the second regulatory member. The angle sensor faces the magnet and outputs a signal corresponding to an absolute angle with the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 11789396
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a toner container, a first mechanism, a toner sensor, and a controller. The developing device adheres toner to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor to form a toner image. The toner container supplies toner to the developing device. The first mechanism causes a toner interface to undulate in the toner container. The toner sensor detects a capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode arranged apart from the first electrode. The controller determines a remaining amount of toner in the toner container based on detection information from the toner sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Publication number: 20220306415
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a paper-length detection device includes: a moving mechanism and an angle sensor. The moving mechanism supports a magnet. The moving mechanism causes a first regulatory member to move closer to or further from a second regulatory member in accordance with movement of the first regulatory member. The moving mechanism further causes the magnet to rotate in accordance with the movement of the first regulatory member closer to or further from the second regulatory member. The angle sensor faces the magnet and outputs a signal corresponding to an absolute angle with the magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventor: Sho KOIKE
  • Publication number: 20220276581
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a toner container, a first mechanism, a toner sensor, and a controller. The developing device adheres toner to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor to form a toner image. The toner container supplies toner to the developing device. The first mechanism causes a toner interface to undulate in the toner container. The toner sensor detects a capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode arranged apart from the first electrode. The controller determines a remaining amount of toner in the toner container based on detection information from the toner sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho KOIKE
  • Patent number: 11347161
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a toner container, a first mechanism, a toner sensor, and a controller. The developing device adheres toner to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor to form a toner image. The toner container supplies toner to the developing device. The first mechanism causes a toner interface to undulate in the toner container. The toner sensor detects a capacitance between a first electrode and a second electrode arranged apart from the first electrode. The controller determines a remaining amount of toner in the toner container based on detection information from the toner sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 11175604
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a storage portion, a first electrode, a second electrode, a measuring unit, a detected portion, an image forming unit, and a controller. The storage portion stores a recording material. The measuring unit measures a change of capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode. The detected portion is located inside the storage portion and is capable of moving so that at least one of a distance to the first electrode and a distance to the second electrode changes. The image forming unit forms an image with the recording material. The controller controls supplying of the recording material to the storage portion in response to the change of the capacitance measured by the measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 10948847
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that forms a toner image on a sheet; a supply device provided with a cartridge for accommodating toner and supplying the toner in the cartridge to the developing device; a sensor that acquires a physical quantity relating to an amount of toner in the developing device; a timer that counts time; and a controller that drives the supply device until a condition that the acquired physical quantity indicates that the amount of toner is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is satisfied when a condition that the physical quantity indicates that the amount of toner becomes small is satisfied, counts time during which the supply device is being driven with the timer, and determines that the amount of toner in the cartridge becomes smaller than a predetermined amount if the counted time is longer than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Publication number: 20210072665
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that forms a toner image on a sheet; a supply device provided with a cartridge for accommodating toner and supplying the toner in the cartridge to the developing device; a sensor that acquires a physical quantity relating to an amount of toner in the developing device; a timer that counts time; and a controller that drives the supply device until a condition that the acquired physical quantity indicates that the amount of toner is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is satisfied when a condition that the physical quantity indicates that the amount of toner becomes small is satisfied, counts time during which the supply device is being driven with the timer, and determines that the amount of toner in the cartridge becomes smaller than a predetermined amount if the counted time is longer than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 10681227
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decoloring device includes a reading unit, a decoloring unit, and a control unit. The reading unit is configured to read control information from a first image formed in a predetermined area of a sheet. The decoloring unit is configured to decolor a portion or entirety of a second image, different from the first image, formed on the sheet using a decolorable recording material. The control unit is configured to control erasing of the data of the second image from a storage device, based on the control information, in a case where the decoloring unit decolors the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 10663882
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that forms a toner image on a sheet; a supply device provided with a cartridge for accommodating toner and supplying the toner in the cartridge to the developing device; a sensor that acquires a physical quantity relating to an amount of toner in the developing device; a timer that counts time; and a controller that drives the supply device until a condition that the acquired physical quantity indicates that the amount of toner is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is satisfied when a condition that the physical quantity indicates that the amount of toner becomes small is satisfied, counts time during which the supply device is being driven with the timer, and determines that the amount of toner in the cartridge becomes smaller than a predetermined amount if the counted time is longer than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 10481843
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor and a memory configured to store a command for operating the processor. The processor acquires a first list including a plurality of error data, each of which includes information indicating a cause of an error occurring in an image forming apparatus, and adds up the number of occurrence times of each of plural cause candidates relating to the error based on the first list. The processor further ranks the plural cause candidates depending on the number of occurrence times, and generates a second list in which each of the plural cause candidates and a rank are associated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Publication number: 20190141204
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decoloring device includes a reading unit, a decoloring unit, and a control unit. The reading unit is configured to read control information from a first image formed in a predetermined area of a sheet. The decoloring unit is configured to decolor a portion or entirety of a second image, different from the first image, formed on the sheet using a decolorable recording material. The control unit is configured to control erasing of the data of the second image from a storage device, based on the control information, in a case where the decoloring unit decolors the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Sho KOIKE
  • Publication number: 20190094677
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus comprises a housing having a document table glass, a scanner section, a cover member, an adsorption board, a driving section and a controller. The cover member is connected to the housing to be rotatable around a first rotation center line with respect to the housing between a closed position where the document table glass is covered and an open position. The adsorption board, arranged in a part at a housing side at the time the cover member is positioned at the closed position, has an adsorption surface adsorbing the original document, and is connected to the cover member to be rotatable around a second rotation center line parallel to the first rotation center line. The driving section adsorbs the original document on the adsorption surface of the adsorption board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 10241388
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus comprises a housing having a document table glass, a scanner section, a cover member, an adsorption board, a driving section and a controller. The cover member is connected to the housing to be rotatable around a first rotation center line with respect to the housing between a closed position where the document table glass is covered and an open position. The adsorption board, arranged in a part at a housing side at the time the cover member is positioned at the closed position, has an adsorption surface adsorbing the original document, and is connected to the cover member to be rotatable around a second rotation center line parallel to the first rotation center line. The driving section adsorbs the original document on the adsorption surface of the adsorption board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Patent number: 10200550
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decoloring device includes a reading unit, a decoloring unit, and a control unit. The reading unit is configured to read control information from a first image formed in a predetermined area of a sheet. The decoloring unit is configured to decolor a portion or entirety of a second image, different from the first image, formed on the sheet using a decolorable recording material. The control unit is configured to control erasing of the data of the second image from a storage device, based on the control information, in a case where the decoloring unit decolors the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Publication number: 20180241892
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decoloring device includes a reading unit, a decoloring unit, and a control unit. The reading unit is configured to read control information from a first image formed in a predetermined area of a sheet. The decoloring unit is configured to decolor a portion or entirety of a second image, different from the first image, formed on the sheet using a decolorable recording material. The control unit is configured to control erasing of the data of the second image from a storage device, based on the control information, in a case where the decoloring unit decolors the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventor: Sho KOIKE
  • Patent number: 9979844
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decoloring device includes a reading unit, a decoloring unit, and a control unit. The reading unit is configured to read control information from a first image formed in a predetermined area of a sheet. The decoloring unit is configured to decolor a portion or entirety of a second image, different from the first image, formed on the sheet using a decolorable recording material. The control unit is configured to control erasing of the data of the second image from a storage device, based on the control information, in a case where the decoloring unit decolors the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sho Koike
  • Publication number: 20180091661
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decoloring device includes a reading unit, a decoloring unit, and a control unit. The reading unit is configured to read control information from a first image formed in a predetermined area of a sheet. The decoloring unit is configured to decolor a portion or entirety of a second image, different from the first image, formed on the sheet using a decolorable recording material. The control unit is configured to control erasing of the data of the second image from a storage device, based on the control information, in a case where the decoloring unit decolors the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventor: Sho KOIKE