Patents by Inventor Soya Endo
Soya Endo 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).
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Patent number: 6624904Abstract: If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into a bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2002Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junichi Kimizuka, Shigeru Ueda, Satoshi Nagata, Akihiro Nakamura, Yoji Kaneko, Soya Endo, Satoshi Egawa, Yoichi Toyokura, Hitoshi Machino, Shinichiro Maekawa, Yutaka Tokura, Masaki Unishi, Akira Nakaya
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Patent number: 6583885Abstract: If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2000Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junichi Kimizuka, Shigeru Ueda, Satoshi Nagata, Akihiro Nakamura, Yoji Kaneko, Soya Endo, Satoshi Egawa, Yoichi Toyokura, Hitoshi Machino, Shinichiro Maekawa, Yutaka Tokura, Masaki Unishi, Akira Nakaya
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Publication number: 20020186391Abstract: If connecting the optional paper feeding deck or furnisher to the image forming apparatus such as a printer, those optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into a bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2002Publication date: December 12, 2002Inventors: Junichi Kimizuka, Shigeru Ueda, Satoshi Nagata, Akihiro Nakamura, Yoji Kaneko, Soya Endo, Satoshi Egawa, Yoichi Toyokura, Hitoshi Machino, Shinichiro Maekawa, Yutaka Tokura, Masaki Unishi, Akira Nakaya
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Patent number: 6421137Abstract: In an image forming apparatus in which a photosensitive drum has the form of a cartridge, a non-volatile memory is provided on the cartridge and a cumulative number of times image forming has been performed is stored in the non-volatile memory, a write-in-progress flag is set in the memory before a data set is written to the memory of the cartridge, and the write-in-progress flag is reset after writing of a data set to the memory ends. A plurality of identical data sets are written to the memory. If, when data sets are read out of the memory, there is a data set for which the write-in-progress flag is still in the set state, it is judged that the write operation for this data set ended in mid-course and, hence, the content of this data set is rewritten to the content of another valid data set.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 1999Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Soya Endo
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Patent number: 6421139Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit for forming an image on either a free-size sheet of an arbitrary size other than a regular size or a regular-size sheet, a controlling unit for controlling, when the image forming unit forms the image on the regular-size sheet, a controlling target unit according to a size of the regular-size sheet, an inputting unit for inputting a size of the free-size sheet, and a converting unit for converting the size inputted by the inputting unit, to suit the converted size to the controlling performed by the controlling unit to the regular-size sheet, wherein the controlling unit performs the different controlling for each group of the sheet sizes, and the converting unit performs the converting to suit the size of the free-size sheet to the group.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1998Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Takami, Junichi Kimizuka, Soya Endo, Tomohiro Nakamori, Hiroshi Chihara
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Patent number: 6373581Abstract: If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 1996Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junichi Kimizuka, Shigeru Ueda, Satoshi Nagata, Akihiro Nakamura, Yoji Kaneko, Soya Endo, Satoshi Egawa, Yoichi Toyokura, Hitoshi Machino, Shinichiro Maekawa, Yutaka Tokura, Masaki Unishi, Akira Nakaya
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Publication number: 20020027667Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit for forming an image on either a free-size sheet of an arbitrary size other than a regular size or a regular-size sheet, a controlling unit for controlling, when the image forming unit forms the image on the regular-size sheet, a controlling target unit according to a size of the regular-size sheet, an inputting unit for inputting a size of the free-size sheet, and a converting unit for converting the size inputted by the inputting unit, to suit the converted size to the controlling performed by the controlling unit to the regular-size sheet, wherein the controlling unit performs the different controlling for each group of the sheet sizes, and the converting unit performs the converting to suit the size of the free-size sheet to the group.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 1998Publication date: March 7, 2002Inventors: HIROSHI TAKAMI, JUNICHI KIMIZUKA, SOYA ENDO, TOMOHIRO NAKAMORI, HIROSHI CHIHARA
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Patent number: 6347198Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a developer container for containing a developer, a developer amount detecting device for detecting the amount of the developer contained in the developer container, a consumed amount calculating device for calculating the consumed amount of the developer, and a remaining amount calculating device for calculating the remaining amount of the developer from an output of the detecting device and an output of the consumed amount calculating device.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2000Date of Patent: February 12, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinya Yamamoto, Hiroshi Sasame, Soya Endo
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Patent number: 6312173Abstract: A video controller generates a video signal from image data on the basis of a print instruction, and an engine controller controls a laser scanner in accordance with the generated video signal to record an image on recording paper by an image forming section. A master controller of an optional master unit performs overall control of a variety of optional units, such as a paper-deck optional unit and a sorter optional unit, in dependence upon a control instruction sent from the video controller. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an image recording apparatus to which a wide variety of optional units can be connected freely without raising the cost of the main body of the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2000Date of Patent: November 6, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Junichi Kimizuka, Soya Endo
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Patent number: 6204872Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a main body which has a printer engine which forms an image on a recording medium, a supply unit which supplies the recording medium to the main body, and a discharge unit which receives the recording medium, on which an image is recorded, discharged from the main body. The supply unit and discharge unit detachably connect to the apparatus and the units are stackable under the main body, and the supply unit and discharge unit have a relaying device for relaying the recording medium which is supplied or discharged from another unit or the main body.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1999Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Junichi Kimizuka, Soya Endo
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Patent number: 6169567Abstract: A video controller generates a video signal from image data on the basis of a print instruction, and an engine controller controls a laser scanner in accordance with the generated video signal to record an image on recording paper by an image forming section. A master controller of an optional master unit performs overall control of a variety of optional units, such as a paper-deck optional unit and a sorter optional unit, in dependence upon a control instruction sent from the video controller. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an image recording apparatus to which a wide variety of optional units can be connected freely without raising the cost of the main body of the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1996Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Junichi Kimizuka, Soya Endo
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Patent number: 5841362Abstract: An optional apparatus which can be connected to a printer or other optional apparatus includes a communication section for communicating with other apparatus and a control section which executes a command in response to the command received via the communication section; wherein the communication section has a first communication path for receiving a data string from an apparatus on the upstream side in communication and for transmitting the received data string to an apparatus on the downstream side of the communication and a second communication path for receiving a data string received from the apparatus on the downstream side of communication and for transmitting the received data string to the apparatus on the upstream side of the communication; and the control section executes a command in the command string received via the first communication path or the second communication path and loads the data indicating the execution result of the command in the command string.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 1996Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiro Nakamura, Junichi Kimizuka, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Soya Endo, Hitoshi Machino
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Patent number: 5612776Abstract: When a recording medium fed from a sheet feed drive mechanism is detected at a predetermined position, the counting of a loop feed time or the like variably set in accordance with a predetermined sheet feed condition such as the sheet type or particular supplying device is started, and the drive of the sheet feed drive mechanism is controlled by terminating the feeding operation in accordance with a count termination state. A count time of a timer for detecting a feed jam is variably set in accordance with a sheet feed condition such as material of sheet.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1995Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hitoshi Machino, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Soya Endo, Tomohiro Nakamori, Masanori Ishizu, Junichi Kimizuka
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Patent number: 5488625Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a chip, a laser element formed on the chip and a heating element formed on the chip. The laser element is driven to emit a laser beam upon light-on of a laser. Upon light-off of a laser, switching is made so that the heating element is driven so as not to emit the laser beam in the normal laser beam emission direction by the laser element.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1993Date of Patent: January 30, 1996Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomohiro Nakamori, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Soya Endo, Hitoshi Machino, Masanori Ishizu
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Patent number: 5455659Abstract: An image recording apparatus for printing an image on a conveyed recording medium, includes a sensor, arranged on a convey path of the recording medium, for detecting presence/absence of the recording medium, a setting unit for setting a debouncing time of the recording medium, and a switching unit for switching the debouncing time.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1994Date of Patent: October 3, 1995Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masanori Ishizu, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Soya Endo, Hitoshi Machino, Tomohiro Nakamori
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Patent number: 5398100Abstract: An image recording apparatus operated in synchronism with a vertical synchronization signal from an external device comprises a unit for sending out to the external device a signal indicating a status to accept the vertical synchronization signal, and switching device for switching between a plurality of operation modes related to an elapsed time from the send-out of the signal by the signal sending unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1993Date of Patent: March 14, 1995Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masanori Ishizu, Toshihiko Inuyama, Takeji Gima, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Hiromichi Yamanaka, Soya Endo, Toshiyuki Itoh, Hitoshi Machino, Tomohiro Nakamori