Patents by Inventor Tomoki Minamikawa
Tomoki Minamikawa 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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Image-forming apparatus, print management system, and method for controlling image-forming apparatus
Patent number: 11956395Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a detachable consumable; a printer that prints an image using the consumable; and a controller that determines whether control information that is set for the consumable and that is for control of the printer exists. The controller extracts, when it is determined that the control information corresponding to the consumable does not exist, image information from an image of a predetermined test pattern printed by the printer, and acquires the control information generated based on the extracted image information.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2023Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Usui, Tomoki Minamikawa -
IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS, PRINT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS
Publication number: 20230291853Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a detachable consumable; a printer that prints an image using the consumable; and a controller that determines whether control information that is set for the consumable and that is for control of the printer exists. The controller extracts, when it is determined that the control information corresponding to the consumable does not exist, image information from an image of a predetermined test pattern printed by the printer, and acquires the control information generated based on the extracted image information.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: TAKASHI USUI, Tomoki MINAMIKAWA -
Patent number: 11627235Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an acquirer, a storage, and a controller. The acquirer acquires supplies-specific information uniquely attached to supplies used or consumed in image formation. The storage stores apparatus-specific information. The controller generates a one-time code as authentication information and also generates application code information for applying for apparatus use permission using the one-time code, the supplies-specific information, and the apparatus-specific information.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2021Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Usui, Tomoki Minamikawa
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Publication number: 20220174183Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an acquirer, a storage, and a controller. The acquirer acquires supplies-specific information uniquely attached to supplies used or consumed in image formation. The storage stores apparatus-specific information. The controller generates a one-time code as authentication information and also generates application code information for applying for apparatus use permission using the one-time code, the supplies-specific information, and the apparatus-specific information.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2021Publication date: June 2, 2022Inventors: TAKASHI USUI, Tomoki MINAMIKAWA
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Patent number: 10324414Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner cartridge which is housed in a cartridge housing portion, and a pushing-out unit, and the toner cartridge includes a CRUM chip. The CRUM chip stores specific information about whether the toner cartridge can be extracted at a housed position where the toner cartridge is housed in the cartridge housing portion. The pushing-out unit pushes-out the toner cartridge in a direction that the toner cartridge can be extracted from the cartridge housing portion in a case where the specific information indicates that the toner cartridge cannot be extracted at the housed position.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2018Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoki Minamikawa, Hiroo Naoi
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Publication number: 20180299820Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge includes a CRUM chip. The CRUM chip stores specific information about whether an ejection action by an ejection mechanism for the toner cartridge is permitted. In accordance with an instruction by a control portion of the image forming device, the ejection action is permitted in a case of a permitting cartridge for which the ejection action is permitted, and the ejection action is inhibited in a case of an inhibiting cartridge for which the ejection action is inhibited.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Tomoki MINAMIKAWA, Hiroo NAOI
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Patent number: 10031469Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge includes a CRUM chip. The CRUM chip stores specific information about whether an ejection action by an ejection mechanism for the toner cartridge is permitted. In accordance with an instruction by a control portion of the image forming device, the ejection action is permitted in a case of a permitting cartridge for which the ejection action is permitted, and the ejection action is inhibited in a case of an inhibiting cartridge for which the ejection action is inhibited.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoki Minamikawa, Hiroo Naoi
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Publication number: 20170357206Abstract: An image forming device includes a toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge includes a CRUM chip. The CRUM chip stores specific information about whether an ejection action by an ejection mechanism for the toner cartridge is permitted. In accordance with an instruction by a control portion of the image forming device, the ejection action is permitted in a case of a permitting cartridge for which the ejection action is permitted, and the ejection action is inhibited in a case of an inhibiting cartridge for which the ejection action is inhibited.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2017Publication date: December 14, 2017Inventors: Tomoki MINAMIKAWA, Hiroo NAOI
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Patent number: 8923715Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing device having a developing vessel, a developing roller and a toner supply port; a toner supply device; a toner supply detecting sensor for detecting the toner concentration inside the developing vessel; a toner concentration controller for directing toner supply; a toner empty detector; and a sheet conveyance detecting sensor. The toner concentration controller has a toner supply device control function; and a toner supply stopping function of stopping toner supply when the last sheet of image printout being executed has passed by the predetermined position in the sheet conveyance path.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2011Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motoyuki Itoyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Takeshi Ohkawa, Tomoki Minamikawa
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Patent number: 8406641Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device having a toner supply sensor, a toner supply device supplying toner to the developing device, a toner supply controller controlling toner supply from the toner supply device to the developing device based on predetermined conditions, a toner empty determiner determining whether toner is present inside the toner supply device. In the image forming apparatus, the toner supply device includes a storage for recording multiple measured values of toner supply detected by the toner supply sensor, and the toner supply controller corrects the amount of toner supply, based on the moving average of multiple measured values of the amount of toner supply.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuma Hinoue, Motoyuki Itoyama, Masayasu Narimatsu, Kohichi Takenouchi, Hideji Saikoh, Takeshi Ohkawa, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Tomoki Minamikawa, Mitsuru Tokuyama
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Publication number: 20110255888Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing device having a developing vessel, a developing roller and a toner supply port; a toner supply device; a toner supply detecting sensor for detecting the toner concentration inside the developing vessel; a toner concentration controller for directing toner supply; a toner empty detector; and a sheet conveyance detecting sensor. The toner concentration controller has a toner supply device control function; and a toner supply stopping function of stopping toner supply when the last sheet of image printout being executed has passed by the predetermined position in the sheet conveyance path.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2011Publication date: October 20, 2011Inventors: Motoyuki ITOYAMA, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Takeshi Ohkawa, Tomoki Minamikawa
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Publication number: 20110222872Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing device; a toner supply device that supplies toner to the developing device; and a toner supply detecting sensor that detects whether toner is supplied into the developing device; and a toner empty determination controller for determining that the toner inside the toner supply device is used up. Toner empty determination controller, based on the output result from the toner supply detecting sensor, modifies the toner empty determining threshold, based on which toner empty is determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoki Minamikawa, Motoyuki Itoyama, Hideji Saikoh, Kazuma Hinoue
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Publication number: 20110123204Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device having a toner supply sensor, a toner supply device supplying toner to the developing device, a toner supply controller controlling toner supply from the toner supply device to the developing device based on predetermined conditions, a toner empty determiner determining whether toner is present inside the toner supply device. In the image forming apparatus, the toner supply device includes a storage for recoding multiple measured values of toner supply detected by the toner supply sensor, and the toner supply controller corrects the amount of toner supply, based on the moving average of multiple measured values of the amount of toner supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2010Publication date: May 26, 2011Inventors: Kazuma HINOUE, Motoyuki Itoyama, Masayasu Narimatsu, Kohichi Takenouchi, Hideji Saikoh, Takeshi Ohkawa, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Tomoki Minamikawa, Mitsuru Tokuyama
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Patent number: 7826755Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroo Naoi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue, Tomoki Minamikawa
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Publication number: 20090175635Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2008Publication date: July 9, 2009Inventors: Hiroo Naoi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue, Tomoki Minamikawa