Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Yuda

Tomohiro Yuda 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: 9649842
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of head units, in each of which a plurality of recording heads are disposed so as to be aligned in a main scanning direction in a holding member as a frame body, and a plurality of nozzle openings for discharging ink being disposed in a sub scanning direction in each recording head. The head units are aligned such that center lines thereof in the main scanning direction differ from each other in the main scanning direction. M (M is a natural number) liquid ejecting heads are attachable to each holding member in the main scanning direction. N (M>N (N is a natural number)) liquid ejecting heads, which discharge liquid, among the M liquid ejecting heads are arranged so as to be close to a center side of an entire width of the head units in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshige Owaki, Mikio Kitagishi, Tomohiro Yuda, Katsuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9636934
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head; a scanning section; and a transport section. A first region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a first end and a first nozzle that is a first predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the first end. A second region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a second end and a second nozzle that is a second predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the second end. When the head, the scanning section, and the transport section form an image on the medium, a moving-average nozzle usage ratio within a region between the first region and the second region changes at a lower rate than moving-average nozzle usage ratios within the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yuda
  • Patent number: 9522537
    Abstract: The liquid droplet discharge apparatus (ink jet printer) includes a head having a nozzle row in which nozzles capable of discharging liquid droplets onto paper as a medium are aligned, and a carriage unit as a movement portion which moves the head relatively to the paper, the ink jet printer discharging the liquid droplets onto the paper through the nozzles by causing the head to perform main scanning a plurality of number of times by the carriage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yuda
  • Publication number: 20160279935
    Abstract: The liquid droplet discharge apparatus (ink jet printer) includes a head having a nozzle row in which nozzles capable of discharging liquid droplets onto paper as a medium are aligned, and a carriage unit as a movement portion which moves the head relatively to the paper, the ink jet printer discharging the liquid droplets onto the paper through the nozzles by causing the head to perform main scanning a plurality of number of times by the carriage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventor: Tomohiro YUDA
  • Patent number: 9440435
    Abstract: A liquid discharge control apparatus includes a discharge control unit that controls the discharge of the liquid through the nozzle. In the case that the discharge control unit allocates, to a first nozzle, the pixel of a first ratio in a pixel column that represents one raster line, and allocates, to a second nozzle, the pixel of a second ratio in the pixel column, and in the case that one nozzle of the first nozzle and the second nozzle is an abnormal nozzle, and the ratio of the pixel in the pixel column allocated to the one nozzle is more than or equal to a predetermined ratio with respect to a total of the first ratio and the second ratio, the discharge control unit increases the ratio of the pixel in the pixel column allocated to the other nozzle of the first nozzle and the second nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yuda
  • Publication number: 20160243863
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head; a scanning section; and a transport section. A first region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a first end and a first nozzle that is a first predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the first end. A second region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a second end and a second nozzle that is a second predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the second end. When the head, the scanning section, and the transport section form an image on the medium, a moving-average nozzle usage ratio within a region between the first region and the second region changes at a lower rate than moving-average nozzle usage ratios within the first region and the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventor: Tomohiro YUDA
  • Patent number: 9352595
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head; a scanning section; and a transport section. A first region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a first end and a first nozzle that is a first predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the first end. A second region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a second end and a second nozzle that is a second predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the second end. When the head, the scanning section, and the transport section form an image on the medium, a moving-average nozzle usage ratio within a region between the first region and the second region changes at a lower rate than moving-average nozzle usage ratios within the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yuda
  • Publication number: 20160114606
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head; a scanning section; and a transport section. A first region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a first end and a first nozzle that is a first predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the first end. A second region is formed in the head between a nozzle formed at a second end and a second nozzle that is a second predetermined distance away, in the sub-scanning direction, from the nozzle formed at the second end. When the head, the scanning section, and the transport section form an image on the medium, a moving-average nozzle usage ratio within a region between the first region and the second region changes at a lower rate than moving-average nozzle usage ratios within the first region and the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventor: Tomohiro YUDA
  • Patent number: 9315024
    Abstract: A droplet discharging method includes: forming a plurality of dots on a first region of a medium, on a second region which is positioned in a ?Y direction from the first region, and on a third region which is positioned in the ?Y direction from the second region. The dots are formed on the first region by using a first head and a second head to cause a second head use ratio to be constant, the dots are formed on the second region by using the first head and the second head so as to cause the second head use ratio to be increased from a value less than a first set value to a value greater than a second set value greater than the first set value in the ?Y direction, and the dots are formed on the third region by using the second head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Miyamoto, Tomohiro Yuda, Bunji Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 9278523
    Abstract: Multi-pass recording is executed for each of n types of super cell regions that are each defined as a region that contains pixel positions in which recording of dots is performed in various types of main scan passes of n types of main scan passes. The n types of super cell regions (i) include a boundary portion that is not parallel to either a main scanning direction or a sub-scanning direction in at least a portion of a boundary of the individual super cell regions, and (ii) are arranged such that the boundary of the n types of super cell regions appears periodically repeating along both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kayahara, Tomohiro Yuda
  • Patent number: 9272530
    Abstract: A droplet discharging method includes: forming a plurality of dots on a first region of a medium, on a second region which is positioned in a ?Y direction from the first region, and on a third region which is positioned in the ?Y direction from the second region. The dots are formed on the first region by using a first head, the dots are formed on the second region by using the first head and a second head so that a second head use ratio is increased from a value less than a first set value to a value greater than a second set value greater than the first set value in the ?Y direction, and the dots are formed on the third region by using the first head and the second head to cause the second head use ratio to be constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Miyamoto, Tomohiro Yuda, Bunji Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20160031668
    Abstract: A transport apparatus includes a plurality of rollers that transport a medium, a detection unit that detects a rotation amount of each of the rollers, and a control unit that controls driving of each of the rollers. The control unit controls the driving of each of the rollers using a correction value that corresponds to a rotation amount from an origin position of the corresponding roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yuda, Bunji Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 9162448
    Abstract: A main scan pass which relatively moves a recording head and a recording medium in a main scan direction and forms dots on the recording medium, and a sub-scan which relatively moves the recording medium and the recording head in a sub-scan direction that intersects with the main scan direction, are performed, and thereby multi-pass recording which completes forming of the dots on a main scan line by N (2 or more) main scan passes is performed. A dot rate represents a rate of pixels in which dot recording is performed in each main scan pass and is set so as to be changed gradually and periodically over sections in the main scan direction. The number of values of the dot rates different from each other in the plurality of sections lined up in the main scan direction is set so as to be equal to or greater than 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yuda
  • Publication number: 20150283805
    Abstract: A liquid discharge control apparatus includes a discharge control unit that controls the discharge of the liquid through the nozzle. In the case that the discharge control unit allocates, to a first nozzle, the pixel of a first ratio in a pixel column that represents one raster line, and allocates, to a second nozzle, the pixel of a second ratio in the pixel column, and in the case that one nozzle of the first nozzle and the second nozzle is an abnormal nozzle, and the ratio of the pixel in the pixel column allocated to the one nozzle is more than or equal to a predetermined ratio with respect to a total of the first ratio and the second ratio, the discharge control unit increases the ratio of the pixel in the pixel column allocated to the other nozzle of the first nozzle and the second nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventor: Tomohiro YUDA
  • Publication number: 20150054869
    Abstract: A droplet discharging method includes: forming a plurality of dots on a first region of a medium, on a second region which is positioned in a ?Y direction from the first region, and on a third region which is positioned in the ?Y direction from the second region. The dots are formed on the first region by using a first head and a second head to cause a second head use ratio to be constant, the dots are formed on the second region by using the first head and the second head so as to cause the second head use ratio to be increased from a value less than a first set value to a value greater than a second set value greater than the first set value in the ?Y direction, and the dots are formed on the third region by using the second head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Toru MIYAMOTO, Tomohiro YUDA, Bunji ISHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150054871
    Abstract: A droplet discharging method includes: forming a plurality of dots on a first region of a medium, on a second region which is positioned in a ?Y direction from the first region, and on a third region which is positioned in the ?Y direction from the second region. The dots are formed on the first region by using a first head, the dots are formed on the second region by using the first head and a second head so that a second head use ratio is increased from a value less than a first set value to a value greater than a second set value greater than the first set value in the ?Y direction, and the dots are formed on the third region by using the first head and the second head to cause the second head use ratio to be constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Toru MIYAMOTO, Tomohiro YUDA, Bunji ISHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150015626
    Abstract: Multi-pass recording is executed for each of n types of super cell regions that are each defined as a region that contains pixel positions in which recording of dots is performed in various types of main scan passes of n types of main scan passes. The n types of super cell regions (i) include a boundary portion that is not parallel to either a main scanning direction or a sub-scanning direction in at least a portion of a boundary of the individual super cell regions, and (ii) are arranged such that the boundary of the n types of super cell regions appears periodically repeating along both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Naoki KAYAHARA, Tomohiro YUDA
  • Publication number: 20150015624
    Abstract: A main scan pass which relatively moves a recording head and a recording medium in a main scan direction and forms dots on the recording medium, and a sub-scan which relatively moves the recording medium and the recording head in a sub-scan direction that intersects with the main scan direction, are performed, and thereby multi-pass recording which completes forming of the dots on a main scan line by N (2 or more) main scan passes is performed. A dot rate represents a rate of pixels in which dot recording is performed in each main scan pass and is set so as to be changed gradually and periodically over sections in the main scan direction. The number of values of the dot rates different from each other in the plurality of sections lined up in the main scan direction is set so as to be equal to or greater than 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Tomohiro YUDA
  • Publication number: 20140285575
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of head units, in each of which a plurality of recording heads are disposed so as to be aligned in a main scanning direction in a holding member as a frame body, and a plurality of nozzle openings for discharging ink being disposed in a sub scanning direction in each recording head. The head units are aligned such that center lines thereof in the main scanning direction differ from each other in the main scanning direction. M (M is a natural number) liquid ejecting heads are attachable to each holding member in the main scanning direction. N (M>N (N is a natural number)) liquid ejecting heads, which discharge liquid, among the M liquid ejecting heads are arranged so as to be close to a center side of an entire width of the head units in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshige OWAKI, Mikio KITAGISHI, Tomohiro YUDA, Katsuhiro OKUBO
  • Patent number: 8807682
    Abstract: When it is assumed that an expected maximum temperature change from a reference temperature during usage of a printer is ?t, an ink landing interval corresponding to raster resolution on a recording medium in a head main scanning direction is P, a maximum distance between nozzle rows of recording heads on a sub carriage is L, a linear expansion coefficient of a linear scale is ?2, and a linear expansion coefficient of the sub carriage is ?1, L(|?1??2|)?t?P/2 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hagiwara, Tomohiro Yuda