Patents by Inventor Tetsuichiro Yamamoto

Tetsuichiro Yamamoto 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: 11743408
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control method of an image reading device, an image reading device, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, which avoid a reduction in reading resolution. The control method of the image reading device includes: a first step (ST101) of generating N line-shaped images indicating N line-shaped regions (W11) in an imaging target (T1) being conveyed in a conveying direction (X1) by imaging the N line-shaped regions (W11) extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (X1); a second step (ST102) of performing the same step as the first step (ST101) at a point in time when the imaging target (T1) is conveyed by an amount associated to a width (11a) of N?1 line-shaped regions; and a step (ST103) of generating a read image by arranging the N line-shaped images generated in each of the steps in ascending order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20230077148
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control method of an image reading device, an image reading device, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, which avoid a reduction in reading resolution. The control method of the image reading device includes: a first step (ST101) of generating N line-shaped images indicating N line-shaped regions (W11) in an imaging target (T1) being conveyed in a conveying direction (X1) by imaging the N line-shaped regions (W11) extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (X1); a second step (ST102) of performing the same step as the first step (ST101) at a point in time when the imaging target (T1) is conveyed by an amount associated to a width (11a) of N?1 line-shaped regions; and a step (ST103) of generating a read image by arranging the N line-shaped images generated in each of the steps in ascending order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: NEC Platforms, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9294651
    Abstract: An image reading device includes: a CCD for reading an image on a document to output an image signal; a light source for switchingly emitting visible light and non-visible light; and lighting control means for controlling lighting periods of the light source. The lighting control means is adapted to perform control such that a first light source lighting period for applying non-visible light is longer than a second light source lighting period for applying visible light. The image reading device also includes splitting means for splitting the image signals outputted from the CCD into an image signal upon application of visible light and an image signal upon application of non-visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: NEC Engineering, LTD.
    Inventors: Kouji Okada, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Hoshimiya
  • Patent number: 9167123
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image reader apparatus capable of obtaining an image having stable brightness while suppressing an increase of the cost of the apparatus. The image reader apparatus 1 for reading an image on a document 2 being fed and outputting an image signal includes a synchronization signal generation circuit 4 for generating a synchronization signal SS synchronous with a feed timing and a feed cycle of the document 2, a CCD 6 for reading an image on the document 2 in synchronism with the synchronization signal SS, an LED 9 for emitting white light, and a lighting control circuit 7 for turning the LED 9 on in synchronism with the synchronization signal SS and turning the light source off so that a lighting period is equalized for each line irrespective of a variation of the feed cycle of the document 2. The lighting control circuit 7 turns the LED 9 off so that the lighting period of the LED 9 is equal to a predetermined preset period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Okada, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Hoshimiya
  • Patent number: 8854702
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a touch panel that outputs a press position pressed by a finger as coordinate information in a sub-scanning direction, the finger being placed on the surface of the touch panel, a CCD that takes an image of the finger placed on the touch panel from the rear side of the touch panel in a main-scanning direction, and outputs an image signal, and a motor that moves the CCD in the sub-scanning direction so as to follow a rotational movement of the finger based on the movement amount detected by the movement detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130300852
    Abstract: An image reading device includes: a diffuser for resting a finger on its upper surface and for diffusing light entering from its lower surface; a light source for irradiating the finger rested on the diffuser with light from the lower surface of the diffuser at a predetermined angle of irradiation; a mirror for receiving the light reflected from the finger on the diffuser which has been emitted from the light source; a CCD for, by receiving the light reflected with the mirror, capturing an image of the finger on the diffuser in a horizontal scanning direction from the lower surface of the diffuser, and then outputting an image signal; and a motor for moving, in a vertical scanning direction, a reading unit which includes at least the light source, the mirror, and the CCD. The upper surface of the diffuser on which the finger is rested is set to be a diffusion surface, and the lower surface of the diffuser through which the light from the light source enters is set as a non-diffusion surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130176604
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a touch panel that outputs a press position pressed by a finger as coordinate information in a sub-scanning direction, the finger being placed on the surface of the touch panel, a CCD that takes an image of the finger placed on the touch panel from the rear side of the touch panel in a main-scanning direction, and outputs an image signal, and a motor that moves the CCD in the sub-scanning direction so as to follow a rotational movement of the finger based on the movement amount detected by the movement detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120127543
    Abstract: An image reading device includes: a CCD for reading an image on a document to output an image signal; a light source for switchingly emitting visible light and non-visible light; and lighting control means for controlling lighting periods of the light source. The lighting control means is adapted to perform control such that a first light source lighting period for applying non-visible light is longer than a second light source lighting period for applying visible light. The image reading device also includes splitting means for splitting the image signals outputted from the CCD into an image signal upon application of visible light and an image signal upon application of non-visible light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: NEC ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Kouji Okada, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Hoshimiya
  • Publication number: 20110255118
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image reader apparatus capable of obtaining an image having stable brightness while suppressing an increase of the cost of the apparatus. The image reader apparatus 1 for reading an image on a document 2 being fed and outputting an image signal includes a synchronization signal generation circuit 4 for generating a synchronization signal SS synchronous with a feed timing and a feed cycle of the document 2, a CCD 6 for reading an image on the document 2 in synchronism with the synchronization signal SS, an LED 9 for emitting white light, and a lighting control circuit 7 for turning the LED 9 on in synchronism with the synchronization signal SS and turning the light source off so that a lighting period is equalized for each line irrespective of a variation of the feed cycle of the document 2. The lighting control circuit 7 turns the LED 9 off so that the lighting period of the LED 9 is equal to a predetermined preset period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Kouji Okada, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Hoshimiya
  • Patent number: 6943922
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus is provided which is capable of reading an original document at a higher speed. M pieces of lines on the surface of the original document can be simultaneously read by M pieces of line-like strings of light sensing devices making up a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) having an interval represented by N pieces of lines to be read. When simultaneous reading is completed, the original document is moved to a line existing apart by L pieces of lines from the lines that have been read. While the original document is moving, image signals of lines that have been read are A/D (analog to digital) converted and then stored to memory regions. Simultaneous reading operation and subsequent storing are sequentially performed on lines on which the line-like strings of light sensing devices are placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Kouji Nakahara
  • Patent number: 6713744
    Abstract: The scanner includes the switch 10 that is closed when a document is read, the boosted-voltage conversion circuit 12 that boosts a DC voltage of 12 volts (V) supplied from a power source (not shown) and then converts it into a high-frequency signal b of 50 KHz, the temperature detection circuit 20 formed of the thermistor 15 for ambient temperature detection and correction circuit 16, and the dimmer control circuit 13 that varies the high-frequency signal b from the boosted-voltage conversion circuit 12 according to a temperature detected by the thermistor 15 and produces a drive signal c to vary the luminance of the cold-cathode-tube light source 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kubo, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6628437
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus according to the present invention employs an optical system including a fluorescent lamp as a line light source for illumination of the image source. An image reader housing has an elongated window. The translucent lamp positioned within the housing has a light emitting tube. The light emitting tube includes a middle section that is elongated in a direction parallel to the window width with a length at least equal to the maximum extent of the window width. The light emitting tube includes two boundary sections between which the middle section extends. The two boundary sections have bent ends connected to the middle section at ends thereof, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroya Ooki, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20020069111
    Abstract: A consumable item providing system, includes: a consumptive amount calculating unit and a controlling unit. The consumptive amount calculating unit is provided in a information communicating unit and has an initial information of an initial stock amount of a consumable item consumed by the information communicating unit and measures a consumptive amount of the consumable item to calculate a current stock amount of the consumable item based on the initial stock amount and the consumptive amount. The controlling unit responds to the current stock amount to output a consumable item information with regard to the consumable item when the current stock amount is equal to or less than a reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20020063785
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus is provided which is capable of reading an original document at a higher speed. M pieces of lines on the surface of the original document can be simultaneously read by M pieces of line-like strings of light sensing devices making up a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) having an interval represented by N pieces of lines to be read. When simultaneous reading is completed, the original document is moved to a line existing apart by L pieces of lines from the lines that have been read. While the original document is moving, image signals of lines that have been read are A/D (analog to digital) converted and then stored to memory regions. Simultaneous reading operation and subsequent storing are sequentially performed on lines on which the line-like strings of light sensing devices are placed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Kouji Nakahara
  • Patent number: 6396648
    Abstract: An image reader including a light source irradiating light to a reading object, a reading device reading an image on the reading object based on the radiated light; and a lens focusing the image onto the reading device and having a characteristic by which a distortion rate is increased from the central part to the end part. The distortion rate of the end part is set to a value in which there is no need to complement the read image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Shinya Kubo
  • Patent number: 6313586
    Abstract: An image input apparatus comprises a cold cathode tube light source and a solid imaging device. The image input apparatus reads an image from a document paper by receiving at the solid imaging device a reflected light which is obtained by reflecting a light of the cold cathode tube light source on the document paper. On putting cold cathode tube light source into an on-state, an inverter control circuit controls an inverter to make the inverter supply the cold cathode tube light source with an overcurrent higher than a predetermined tube current which is for use in continuously and stably irradiating a predetermined luminous energy from the cold cathode tube light source. After the overcurrent is applied to the cold cathode tube light source during a predetermined duration, the inverter control circuit controls the inverter to make the inverter reduce the overcurrent to a predetermined current in accordance with an output of the solid imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Tatsuya Shimizu, Yutaka Okazaki
  • Patent number: 6239884
    Abstract: A scanner according to the present invention includes a cold-cathode tube for radiating light on a manuscript reading position where an image on a manuscript is detected by an image sensor, a pre-heater for preheating before the lighting of the cold-cathode tube, a light source for detection connected to the pre-heater in series for radiating light toward the manuscript reading position to detect the end of the manuscript, a detecting element for detecting light reflected in the manuscript reading position from the light source for detection and generating a detection signal showing that the end of the manuscript is detected and a driving circuit for controlling the lighting of the cold-cathode tube and the stop of the pre-heater according to the detection signal from the detecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5963343
    Abstract: When the scanner moves over the subject copy, the first reading elements of a close contact type image sensor (1) read the copy. As the movement causes a platen roller (5) to rotate, an encoder ring (4), having a prescribed distinguishing pattern (10) printed within, rotates. Second reading elements configured outside the copy reading range of the close contact type image sensor (1) read the distinguishing pattern, which moves over the reading face as the encoder ring (4) rotates. The second reading elements which read the distinguishing pattern are driven independently of the first reading elements for reading the subject copy, and their reading period is shorter than that of the first reading elements. This configuration enables the moving speed to be accurately detected even when the scanner moves faster than the copy reading speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kubo, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5852686
    Abstract: An image reading device, particularly a hand scanner, capable of setting a reading position in the main scanning direction accurately at all times. A stage glass is affixed to the reading surface of the hand scanner. A reference line is printed on the stage glass outside of the valid reading range of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image scanner. For the adjustment of the valid reading range, the image sensor and a lens are roughly adjusted such that data representative of the reference line appears at the edge of the valid reading range. Subsequently, the valid reading range is electrically shifted in the main scanning direction such that the reference line disappears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kubo, Tetsuichiro Yamamoto, Yasushi Matsumoto