Patents by Inventor Shuji Yonekubo

Shuji Yonekubo 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: 11972158
    Abstract: A cartridge provision system includes a printer that ejects liquid (recording material) supplied from a cartridge onto a print medium; and a server 10 that manages a provision of the cartridge to a user of the printer, wherein the server 10 manages vendor inventory data 22, which is data that associated an inventory of the cartridge held by a sales company who provisions the cartridge to the user with expiration date of the cartridge, and a location data 33, which indicates the location of the user, and determines, when the sales company provisions the cartridge to the user, which expiration date of the cartridge should be provided from the inventory of the cartridge held by the sales company based on the vendor inventory data 22 and the location data 33.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Yonekubo, Shigenori Nakagawa, Yoshihisa Horikawa
  • Publication number: 20240076829
    Abstract: A printing system includes a pretreatment unit that applies a pretreatment liquid to a fabric, a printing unit that ejects a printing liquid to the fabric to which the pretreatment liquid was applied, a storage unit that stores a data table indicating a correspondence relationship between a time elapsed from manufacture of the pretreatment liquid and a rubbing fastness of the fabric on which the pretreatment liquid was used, and a control unit. The control unit includes an acquisition unit that acquires freshness information regarding freshness of the pretreatment liquid to be applied by the pretreatment unit and use date information indicating a time to use the pretreatment liquid, and an estimation unit that outputs, based on the freshness information, the use date information, and the data table, an estimation level of the rubbing fastness to be obtained by using the pretreatment liquid at the time indicated by the use date information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Shuji YONEKUBO, Takuya SONOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240061627
    Abstract: A cartridge provision system includes a printer that ejects liquid (recording material) supplied from a cartridge onto a print medium; and a server 10 that manages a provision of the cartridge to a user of the printer, wherein the server 10 manages vendor inventory data 22, which is data that associated an inventory of the cartridge held by a sales company who provisions the cartridge to the user with expiration date of the cartridge, and a location data 33, which indicates the location of the user, and determines, when the sales company provisions the cartridge to the user, which expiration date of the cartridge should be provided from the inventory of the cartridge held by the sales company based on the vendor inventory data 22 and the location data 33.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Shuji YONEKUBO, Shigenori NAKAGAWA, Yoshihisa HORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240062154
    Abstract: A cartridge providing system includes a printer ejecting, onto a printing medium, a liquid (recording material) supplied from a cartridge, and a server managing provision of the cartridge to a user that uses the printer. The server manages user stock data, which is data associating a stock of the cartridges held by the user with usage expiry dates thereof, and vendor stock data, which is data associating a stock of the cartridges held by a sales company providing the cartridge to the user with usage expiry dates thereof. When the sales company provides the cartridge to the user, the server determines, based on the vendor stock data and the user stock data, the cartridge of which usage expiry date is to be provided from among the stock of the cartridges held by the sales company.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Shuji YONEKUBO, Shigenori NAKAGAWA, Hitoshi IGARASHI, Tsuneyuki SASAKI, Takuya SONOYAMA, Saeko MARUYAMA, Yoshihisa HORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240059073
    Abstract: A cartridge providing system includes a printer ejecting a liquid (recording material) supplied from a cartridge, and a server managing provision of the cartridge to users that use the printer. Based on user stock data of each of the users, the server determines whether an unused stock, which is a stock that remains unused for a first period or longer from a start of holding, is present in a stock of the cartridges held by each of the users. If it is determined that an unused stock is present in the stock held by a first user, when a period until a usage expiry date of the unused stock is less than a first threshold value, the server sets a collection recommendation flag to the unused stock in the user stock data of the first user, the collection recommendation flag indicating the cartridge recommended for collection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Shuji YONEKUBO, Shigenori NAKAGAWA, Yoshihisa HORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240061628
    Abstract: A cartridge providing system includes a printer ejecting, onto a printing medium, a liquid (recording material) supplied from a cartridge, and a server managing provision of the cartridge to a plurality of users that use the printer. The server determines whether an unused stock, which is a stock that remains unused for a first period or longer, is present in a stock of cartridges held by each of the plurality of users. In a case in which it is determined that an unused stock is present in the stock held by a first user of the plurality of users, when a period until a usage expiry date of the unused stock is less than a first threshold value, the server specifies a second user, of the plurality of users, to be provided with the unused stock, based on user stock data in which the stock of cartridges held by the user is registered, and on usage amount data indicating a usage amount of the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Shuji YONEKUBO, Shigenori NAKAGAWA, Yoshihisa HORIKAWA
  • Patent number: 8403441
    Abstract: A driving pulse for air bubble removal flushing which is a first maintenance pulse is a driving pulse which removes air bubbles in an ink flow path of a recording head, a driving pulse for thickened ink discharge flushing which is a second maintenance pulse is a driving pulse which removes thickened ink, thereby stabilizing a meniscus, and in a maintenance process which restores ejection capability of the recording head, after an air bubble removal flushing process is executed by using the driving pulse for air bubble removal flushing, a thickened ink discharge flushing process is executed by using the driving pulse for thickened ink discharge flushing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Tsubota, Shuji Yonekubo
  • Patent number: 8308257
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a driving element driven by a driving waveform and a nozzle that ejects liquid. Two first driving waveforms and a second driving waveform are generated in a period to create a driving signal in which the two first and the second driving waveforms are repeatedly generated. When the first driving waveform is applied to the driving element, a first amount of liquid is ejected from the nozzle. When the two first driving waveforms are applied, twice the first amount is ejected. When the second driving waveform is applied, a second amount of liquid larger than the first amount and smaller than twice the first amount is ejected. When the two first driving waveforms and the second driving waveform are applied to the driving element, an amount of liquid smaller than a sum of twice the first amount and the second amount is ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichiro Matsushita, Shuji Yonekubo
  • Patent number: 8303066
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Hirokazu Nunokawa, Yoshiko Hoshiyama, Shuji Yonekubo, Toshihisa Saruta
  • Patent number: 8292388
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a driving element driven by a driving waveform and a nozzle that ejects liquid in response to the driving element. A driving signal generator generates the driving waveforms in a period and creates a driving signal in which the driving waveforms are repeatedly generated in each period. The driving signal generator creates the driving signal in which at least two first driving waveforms configured to eject the maximum amount of liquid among amounts of liquid ejected from the nozzle once in the period and at least two second driving waveforms configured to eject a different amount of liquid are generated in each period. The driving signal is such that a temporal interval at which the first driving waveform is generated is closer to the half length of the period than a temporal interval at which the second driving waveform is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichiro Matsushita, Shuji Yonekubo
  • Publication number: 20110261098
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru HOSONO, Hirokazu NUNOKAWA, Yoshiko HOSHIYAMA, Shuji YONEKUBO, Toshihisa SARUTA
  • Patent number: 7988249
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Hirokazu Nunokawa, Yoshiko Hoshiyama, Shuji Yonekubo, Toshihisa Saruta
  • Publication number: 20110109676
    Abstract: A driving pulse for air bubble removal flushing which is a first maintenance pulse is a driving pulse which removes air bubbles in an ink flow path of a recording head, a driving pulse for thickened ink discharge flushing which is a second maintenance pulse is a driving pulse which removes thickened ink, thereby stabilizing a meniscus, and in a maintenance process which restores ejection capability of the recording head, after an air bubble removal flushing process is executed by using the driving pulse for air bubble removal flushing, a thickened ink discharge flushing process is executed by using the driving pulse for thickened ink discharge flushing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi TSUBOTA, Shuji YONEKUBO
  • Publication number: 20100238218
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a driving element driven by a driving waveform and a nozzle that ejects liquid in response to the driving element. A driving signal generator generates the driving waveforms in a period and creates a driving signal in which the driving waveforms are repeatedly generated in each period. The driving signal generator creates the driving signal in which at least two first driving waveforms configured to eject the maximum amount of liquid among amounts of liquid ejected from the nozzle once in the period and at least two second driving waveforms configured to eject a different amount of liquid are generated in each period. The driving signal is such that a temporal interval at which the first driving waveform is generated is closer to the half length of the period than a temporal interval at which the second driving waveform is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichiro MATSUSHITA, Shuji YONEKUBO
  • Publication number: 20100238217
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a driving element driven by a driving waveform and a nozzle that ejects liquid. Two first driving waveforms and a second driving waveform are generated in a period to create a driving signal in which the two first and the second driving waveforms are repeatedly generated. When the first driving waveform is applied to the driving element, a first amount of liquid is ejected from the nozzle. When the two first driving waveforms are applied, twice the first amount is ejected. When the second driving waveform is applied, a second amount of liquid larger than the first amount and smaller than twice the first amount is ejected. When the two first driving waveforms and the second driving waveform are applied to the driving element, an amount of liquid smaller than a sum of twice the first amount and the second amount is ejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichiro MATSUSHITA, Shuji YONEKUBO
  • Patent number: 7735953
    Abstract: The liquid jetting apparatus includes a head member having a nozzle, a supporting member that that can support a medium, a scanning mechanism that can cause the head member to relatively move with respect to the medium, and a liquid jetting unit that can jet liquid from the nozzle. An area storing unit stores a relative area to which liquid can be jetted from the nozzle while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating-area setting unit can set out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas before and after the relative area. A micro-vibrating unit causes liquid in the nozzle to minutely vibrate. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating controlling unit causes the micro-vibrating unit to operate when the head member is located in the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas, while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism, based on the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas and head-position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Yonekubo, Ryoichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7500726
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Hirokazu Nunokawa, Yoshiko Hoshiyama, Shuji Yonekubo, Toshihisa Saruta
  • Publication number: 20060232616
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Hirokazu Nunokawa, Yoshiko Hoshiyama, Shuji Yonekubo, Toshihisa Saruta
  • Publication number: 20060209119
    Abstract: The liquid jetting apparatus includes a head member having a nozzle, a supporting member that that can support a medium, a scanning mechanism that can cause the head member to relatively move with respect to the medium, and a liquid jetting unit that can jet liquid from the nozzle. An area storing unit stores a relative area to which liquid can be jetted from the nozzle while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating-area setting unit can set out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas before and after the relative area. A micro-vibrating unit causes liquid in the nozzle to minutely vibrate. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating controlling unit causes the micro-vibrating unit to operate when the head member is located in the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas, while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism, based on the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas and head-position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Shuji Yonekubo, Ryoichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7073885
    Abstract: The liquid jetting apparatus includes a head member having a nozzle, a supporting member that that can support a medium, a scanning mechanism that can cause the head member to relatively move with respect to the medium, and a liquid jetting unit that can jet liquid from the nozzle. An area storing unit stores a relative area to which liquid can be jetted from the nozzle while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating-area setting unit can set out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas before and after the relative area. A micro-vibrating unit causes liquid, in the nozzle to minutely vibrate. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating controlling unit causes the micro-vibrating unit to operate when the head member is located in the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas, while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism, based on the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas and head-position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Yonekubo, Ryoichi Tanaka