Patents by Inventor Shohichi Fukutome

Shohichi Fukutome 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: 11945673
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Kuroda, Hironori Ogasawara, Hisashi Yamanaka, Toshiki Fukunishi
  • Patent number: 11765293
    Abstract: A document reading apparatus has a first scanning unit that can scan in a document conveyance direction and determines a document reading position, and a guide plate provided in a position that sandwiches the document being conveyed with the first scanning unit. On a facing surface of the guide plate relative to the first scanning unit, a first color section to which a white sheet is attached and a second color section having a sheet metal color (e.g. gray) of the guide plate are formed in the document conveyance direction. The document reading position corresponds to a position facing the second color section when a document is read in a crop mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohichi Fukutome, Yasumasa Morimoto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Reishi Aoki
  • Patent number: 11706367
    Abstract: The multifunction peripheral of the present invention includes an ADF document crop function. According to this ADF document crop function, front side image shaping processing for cutting out a front side document image corresponding to the image on the front side of a document, from a front side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the front side document image is performed. Then, on the basis of shaping information in the front side image shaping processing, back side image shaping processing for cutting out a back side document image from a back side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the back side document image is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma Ogawa, Yasutaka Hirayama, Akihito Yoshida, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Publication number: 20230192433
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: SHOHICHI FUKUTOME, KENJI KURODA, HIRONORI OGASAWARA, HISASHI YAMANAKA, TOSHIKI FUKUNISHI
  • Patent number: 11608241
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Kuroda, Hironori Ogasawara, Hisashi Yamanaka, Toshiki Fukunishi
  • Patent number: 11539853
    Abstract: An image reader used as a back surface reading unit includes LEDs, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a lens, and a CCD inside a housing. The first mirror, which first reflects light reflected from the document, is positioned farther away from the document reading position than other reflecting mirrors (i.e. the second mirror and the third mirror) in an optical axis direction of the optical path connecting the document reading position and the first mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Reishi Aoki, Hisashi Yamanaka, Shohichi Fukutome, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 11528377
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a mode selector, at least two document sensors, and a feeding determiner. The mode selector receives selection of either a normal mode for feeding documents having the same size or a mixed loading mode for feeding documents having different sizes. The document sensors are arranged at an interval in a width direction of the documents, and detect the documents. The feeding determiner performs, based on results of the detection by the document sensors, a size determination to determine a size of a document being fed and a skew determination to determine whether or not the document being fed is skewed. The feeding determiner performs the skew determination when the normal mode has been selected and performs the size determination when the mixed loading mode has been selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasumasa Morimoto, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Publication number: 20220385778
    Abstract: A document reading apparatus has a first scanning unit that can scan in a document conveyance direction and determines a document reading position, and a guide plate provided in a position that sandwiches the document being conveyed with the first scanning unit. On a facing surface of the guide plate relative to the first scanning unit, a first color section to which a white sheet is attached and a second color section having a sheet metal color (e.g. gray) of the guide plate are formed in the document conveyance direction. The document reading position corresponds to a position facing the second color section when a document is read in a crop mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: SHOHICHI FUKUTOME, YASUMASA MORIMOTO, HISASHI YAMANAKA, REISHI AOKI
  • Publication number: 20220345583
    Abstract: The multifunction peripheral of the present invention includes an ADF document crop function. According to this ADF document crop function, front side image shaping processing for cutting out a front side document image corresponding to the image on the front side of a document, from a front side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the front side document image is performed. Then, on the basis of shaping information in the front side image shaping processing, back side image shaping processing for cutting out a back side document image from a back side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the back side document image is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuma OGAWA, Yasutaka HIRAYAMA, Akihito YOSHIDA, Shohichi FUKUTOME
  • Patent number: 11405517
    Abstract: In an image reading device including a document platen, a document holder, multiple light sources, and a close contact type image sensor, the light sources are sequentially turned on and the image sensor individually reads light of multiple different colors reflected from a document in a main scanning direction. When the document holder is opened, in an area determination process, a first scanning area where a difference between output values of the image sensor when the light sources are sequentially turned on is within a predetermined threshold value range, and a second scanning area where the difference is outside the predetermined threshold value range are determined in an entire scanning area of the image sensor. A document size in the main scanning direction is detected based on a position of a boundary in the main scanning direction between the first and second scanning areas determined in the area determination process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka, Reishi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20220219933
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: SHOHICHI FUKUTOME, KENJI KURODA, HIRONORI OGASAWARA, HISASHI YAMANAKA, TOSHIKI FUKUNISHI
  • Patent number: 11319180
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Kuroda, Hironori Ogasawara, Hisashi Yamanaka, Toshiki Fukunishi
  • Publication number: 20220060599
    Abstract: An image reader used as a back surface reading unit includes LEDs, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a lens, and a CCD inside a housing. The first mirror, which first reflects light reflected from the document, is positioned farther away from the document reading position than other reflecting mirrors (i.e. the second mirror and the third mirror) in an optical axis direction of the optical path connecting the document reading position and the first mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: REISHI AOKI, HISASHI YAMANAKA, SHOHICHI FUKUTOME, Mitsuharu YOSHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220060595
    Abstract: In an image reading device including a document platen, a document holder, multiple light sources, and a close contact type image sensor, the light sources are sequentially turned on and the image sensor individually reads light of multiple different colors reflected from a document in a main scanning direction. When the document holder is opened, in an area determination process, a first scanning area where a difference between output values of the image sensor when the light sources are sequentially turned on is within a predetermined threshold value range, and a second scanning area where the difference is outside the predetermined threshold value range are determined in an entire scanning area of the image sensor. A document size in the main scanning direction is detected based on a position of a boundary in the main scanning direction between the first and second scanning areas determined in the area determination process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: SHOHICHI FUKUTOME, HISASHI YAMANAKA, REISHI AOKI
  • Publication number: 20220021776
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a mode selector, at least two document sensors, and a feeding determiner. The mode selector receives selection of either a normal mode for feeding documents having the same size or a mixed loading mode for feeding documents having different sizes. The document sensors are arranged at an interval in a width direction of the documents, and detect the documents. The feeding determiner performs, based on results of the detection by the document sensors, a size determination to determine a size of a document being fed and a skew determination to determine whether or not the document being fed is skewed. The feeding determiner performs the skew determination when the normal mode has been selected and performs the size determination when the mixed loading mode has been selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: YASUMASA MORIMOTO, SHOHICHI FUKUTOME
  • Patent number: 11122174
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a housing with a document platen provided on an upper surface of the housing, a scanning body provided to be reciprocally movable in the housing, and a flat cable having one end connected with an image reader of the scanning body. The flat cable includes a follow-up deformed section deformable following a movement of the scanning body, and a bent section bent so that the flat cable is aligned in a main scanning direction. The bent section is arranged on a lower surface of a base of the scanning body, and a holder that holds the bent section is formed on the lower surface of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suto, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Patent number: 10893159
    Abstract: A document feeder includes an input tray (part of a document placing portion) on which a document is placed, an output tray on which the document output from a document output port in an output direction is stacked, and a substrate including a light source that emits light to the output tray. The output tray is disposed below the input tray. The substrate is fixed to the document placing portion at an oblique angle relative to a horizontal reference of the document feeder such that the optical axis of the light source extends toward the document output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Kuroda, Shohichi Fukutome, Hironori Ogasawara, Hisashi Yamanaka, Toshiki Fukunishi
  • Publication number: 20200382667
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a housing with a document platen provided on an upper surface of the housing, a scanning body provided to be reciprocally movable in the housing, and a flat cable having one end connected with an image reader of the scanning body. The flat cable includes a follow-up deformed section deformable following a movement of the scanning body, and a bent section bent so that the flat cable is aligned in a main scanning direction. The bent section is arranged on a lower surface of a base of the scanning body, and a holder that holds the bent section is formed on the lower surface of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: YASUHIRO SUTO, KENJI NAKANISHI, SHOHICHI FUKUTOME
  • Patent number: 10805490
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image scanning unit that is provided with a holding portion holding a flexible flat cable. The holding portion is protruded toward an upstream side in a sub scanning direction, and provided with a second wall part. The flexible flat cable that is extended from a connector is brought into contact with the second wall part. As for the flexible flat cable, a downward movement is regulated by a lower holding portion and an upward movement is regulated by an upper holding portion. Accordingly, the flexible flat cable does not rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Hisashi Yamanaka, Kenji Nakanishi, Shohichi Fukutome, Kazuhiro Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10728413
    Abstract: An illuminating device capable of stably illuminating an irradiated object such as a document while suppressing light loss with a simply structure is provided. An LED array and a reflective plate are disposed sandwiching a slit (St) through which light reflected by a document MS passes and a light-guiding member is disposed on the side of the LED array. The light-guiding member includes a direct emission unit disposed between an illumination range y centered on a document reading position and the LED array and an indirect emission unit disposed between the reflective plate and the LED array, a light incidence face of the direct emission unit and a light incidence face of the indirect emission unit are disposed at mutually different position around the LED array, and the LED array is disposed on a side of an interior angle formed by the light incidence faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suto, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Tomohiko Okada, Hisashi Yamanaka, Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Nakanishi