Patents by Inventor Yasunari Yoshida

Yasunari Yoshida 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: 8157368
    Abstract: An ink jet recording device includes a recording head, a conveying member, a platen, a supporting member, and a driving member. The recording head ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium. The conveying member conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction. The recording medium has a leading edge and a trailing edge in the conveying direction. The platen is disposed in confrontation with the recording head to support the recording medium while keeping a predetermined distance from the recording head. The supporting member is disposed in the platen to slide in the conveying direction while supporting the recording medium. The driving member drives the supporting member to start sliding in the conveying direction at a starting timing corresponding to a position of at least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Yoshida, Masahiko Sasa
  • Patent number: 8144982
    Abstract: An adjusting portion adjusts values of lightness, chroma, and hue. A change-amount setting portion sets an amount of change for each of lightness, chroma, and hue. A weighting-curve storing portion stores weighting curves for each of lightness, chroma, and hue. A weighting-factor determining portion determines, based on the weighting curves, weighting factors for the values of lightness, chroma, and hue. A specific-color-index determining portion determines a specific color index by multiplying each of the weighting factors determined by the weighting-factor determining portion. An adjustment-amount determining portion determines an adjustment amount by multiplying, by the specific color index, the amount of change set by the change-amount setting portion, and determines adjusted values of lightness, chroma, and hue based on the adjustment amount. An adjusted-color-image obtaining portion obtains an adjusted color image based on the adjusted values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Yoshida, Masaki Kondo, Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8136937
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer, including: a feeding mechanism which feeds a recording medium in a feeding direction; an ink-jet head which ejects ink onto a surface of the recording medium at a recording position where the ink-jet head faces the recording medium fed by the feeding mechanism in the feeding direction; a pressing device including at least one spur and pressing the surface of the recording medium on a downstream side of the recording position in the feeding direction by bringing at least one of the at least one spur into contact with the surface of the recording medium; and a pressing-position-changing mechanism which selectively realizes one of a plurality of states which are different from each other in at least one pressing position, in the feeding direction, at which the pressing device presses the surface of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8094954
    Abstract: A binary conversion error value as to neighboring pixels stored in an error value storage portion is added to a pixel density of a subject pixel, which is read from an input image storage portion, at a ratio based on an error distribution matrix, so that a modified density is calculated. A determination is made as to whether the modified density is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and an output image is binarized based on the determination, and stored in an output image storage portion. An output density, which is a value of the output image for calculating the binary conversion error value, is set to a value corresponding to a print mode currently set. By subtracting the output density from the modified density, the binary conversion error value generated in the binarization process for the subject pixel is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110298860
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a recording head, a first pair of conveying rollers, a second pair of conveying rollers, and a conveyance controller. The conveyance controller controls the first and second pairs of conveying rollers to halt a conveying operation of the recording medium when a trailing edge of the recording medium has moved to or exceeded a position downstream from the nip position of the first pair of conveying rollers by a first prescribed distance during a first prescribed period of time running from a time instant when the trailing edge of the recording medium has passed through the nip position of the first pair of the conveying rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasunari YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 8066350
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus including: a cartridge mount; a recording head; an ink passage; an ink discharger; and a controller. An ink cartridge that stores ink is to be replaceably mounted on the cartridge mount. The recording head ejects the ink toward a recording medium. Through the ink passage, the ink is supplied from the cartridge mount to the recording head. The ink discharger discharges the ink. The controller includes a cartridge judgment section and a discharger control section. The cartridge judgment section judges whether the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount is a subject cartridge that satisfies a predetermined condition or not. The discharger control section controls the ink discharger to discharge at least the ink in the ink passage when the cartridge judgment section has judged that the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount is the subject cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8020985
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a recording head, a first pair of conveying rollers, a second pair of conveying rollers, and a conveyance controller. The conveyance controller controls the first and second pairs of conveying rollers to halt a conveying operation of the recording medium when a trailing edge of the recording medium has moved to or exceeded a position downstream from the nip position of the first pair of conveying rollers by a first prescribed distance during a first prescribed period of time running from a time instant when the trailing edge of the recording medium has passed through the nip position of the first pair of the conveying rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7984120
    Abstract: A method of setting up an operating state for a plurality of predetermined devices is provided. The method is carried out on a terminal device to which the predetermined devices are connected. The method includes the steps of collecting, for a setting item relating to a function of each of the predetermined devices, setting options which the predetermined devices support, displaying the setting options collected for the setting item, allowing the user to select one of the setting options for the setting item, and identifying at least one device supporting the selected one of the setting options from among the predetermined devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110149303
    Abstract: A controlling device may perform an image process on specific image data so as to generate processed image data, select a process mode from a plurality of process modes, including a first process mode and a second process mode, and perform the image process according to the selected process mode. The first process mode may be for performing the image process by performing, in order to compensate variability of discharging amounts of the liquid droplets discharged from the plurality of nozzles, a specific process on a target pixel within target image data using correction data for a target nozzle. The target nozzle may be to form a dot at a position on a print medium corresponding to the target pixel. The second process mode may be for performing the image process by performing the specific process on the target pixel within target image data without using the correction data for the target nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasunari YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20110148966
    Abstract: A controlling device may perform an image process on specific image data so as to generate processed image data, supply the processed image data to the print performing unit and perform, in order to compensate variability of discharging amount of ink droplets discharged from the plurality of nozzles, a specific process on a target pixel within target image data using correction data for a target nozzle which forms a dot at a position on a print medium corresponding to the target pixel. The correction data may be data acquired using two or more sets of characteristic data corresponding to two or more nozzles of the plurality of nozzles. The two or more nozzles may include the target nozzle and a specific nozzle. The specific nozzle may be to form a raster near a target raster formed on the print medium by the target nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasunari YOSHIDA, Shintaro IZOE
  • Patent number: 7934787
    Abstract: An amount of discrepancy between a theoretical paper feeding length and an actual paper feeding length is determined in advance, and a calibration value is determined based on the amount of discrepancy and stored in a ROM, for each of when a sheet of paper is fed while contacted by a sheet supply roller and when the sheet of paper is fed without contacted by the sheet supply roller. When a printing is performed on a sheet of paper, a feeding amount of the sheet of paper is calibrated based on one of the calibration values stored in the ROM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7894096
    Abstract: In an image-forming method, a device reads line data L for one line and determines whether the resolution of the line data L in the main scanning direction is greater than or equal to a threshold th. If the resolution is greater than or equal to the threshold th, then a multiple line process is performed on the line data L to divide this data into two sets of partial line data L1 and L2. The partial line data L1 and L2 are used to form two lines at locations shifted from each other in the sub-scanning direction. However, if the resolution of the line data L is smaller than the threshold th, then a single line process is performed to divide the line data L into two segments Q1 and Q2. The segments Q1 and Q2 of the line data L are used to form a single line at the same location in the sub-scanning direction by printing the segment Q1 in the first main scanning operation and by printing the segment Q2 in the second main scanning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Kondo, Masashi Ueda, Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7883202
    Abstract: An image-forming device has a carriage, a conveying unit, a controller, and a detector. The carriage has recording elements to form dots on a sheet having an edge extending in the subscanning direction. The carriage is movable in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the subscanning direction. The conveying unit conveys the sheet in the subscanning direction by a predetermined distance when the recording unit moves in the subscanning direction. The controller sequentially selects a first distance n times (n: a natural number) as the predetermined distance, and selects a second distance as the predetermined distance after the n times of selection of the first distance. The second distance is longer than the first distance. The detector detects the edge of the sheet only after the sheet is conveyed by the second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7884965
    Abstract: During the process of creating a density adjustment table, when the average value avg for ink amounts of Ci(n), Mi(n), and Yi(n) is less than or equal to 2 at some density level indicated by positioning number n, a CPU sets a correction range of 1 to n, which includes the subject density level with positioning number n and gradation levels lower than the density level with positioning number n. The CPU 5 corrects the n-number of sets of ink amount data (Ci(n), Mi(n), Yi(n)) within the correction range of 1 to n, and converts each data set (Ci(n), Mi(n), Yi(n)) within the correction range into a corrected data set (Co(n), Mo(n), Yo(n)), wherein Co(n), Mo(n), and Yo(n) have the values equal to the average value avg of the original ink amounts Ci(n), Mi(n), and Yi(n).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110007330
    Abstract: A binary conversion error value as to neighboring pixels stored in an error value storage portion is added to a pixel density of a subject pixel, which is read from an input image storage portion, at a ratio based on an error distribution matrix, so that a modified density is calculated. A determination is made as to whether the modified density is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and an output image is binarized based on the determination, and stored in an output image storage portion. An output density, which is a value of the output image for calculating the binary conversion error value, is set to a value corresponding to a print mode currently set. By subtracting the output density from the modified density, the binary conversion error value generated in the binarization process for the subject pixel is calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasunari YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20100322520
    Abstract: An image-reading device includes a reading unit, a displaying unit, a recognition target region setting unit, a recognition target region adding unit, and a character recognizing unit. The recognition target region setting unit sets a recognition target region within the displayed image data to recognize characters. The recognition target region adding unit adds a new recognition target region based on the recognition target region set by the recognition target region setting unit. The character recognizing unit performs character recognition in the recognition target regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasunari YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 7809201
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a determining device, a mode setting device, a storage device, and a dither matrix selecting device that selects a dither matrix corresponding to the one of the plurality of image output modes set by the mode setting device as a dither matrix used by the determining device, wherein when a predetermined image output mode is set by the mode setting device, the dither matrix selecting device selects a dither matrix for higher levels than those of the input image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20100214339
    Abstract: An image forming device performs a bi-directional printing operation and includes a unit that determines a first amount by calibrating a predetermined amount based on a first value relating to a positional offset of a print element, and a unit that determines a second amount by calibrating the predetermined amount based on a second value relating to a positional offset of another print element. A recording medium is conveyed in a conveying direction the first amount after one of forward and reverse prints and the second amount after the other of the forward and reverse prints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7773252
    Abstract: Colorimetric data corresponding to corner grid points in an RGB color space, such as grid point P1, is used without correction. For grid points positioned on an edge, such as grid point P2, an average value is calculated for calorimetric data corresponding to a total of three grid points, including a target grid point and two adjacent grid points on the edge. For grid points positioned on a surface, such as grid point P4, an average value is calculated for calorimetric data corresponding to a total of nine grid points, including the target grid point and eight adjacent grid points on the surface. For grid points positioned inside the cube-shaped grid, such as grid point P5, an average value is calculated for calorimetric data corresponding to a total of 27 grid points, including the target grid point and 26 grid points adjacent to the target grid point three-dimensionally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Yoshida, Masaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 7766443
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding roller and a recording unit. The feeding roller is rotatably disposed to convey the recording medium in a conveying direction, and includes a rotational axle that is eccentric and a peripheral surface having an actual external dimension that is different from a theoretical external dimension. The recording unit has a head length in the conveying direction. A method of compensating for an error of a conveyance distance of a recording medium in the image forming apparatus includes (1) printing a first image on the recording medium; (2) rotating the feeding roller N turns, N being a positive integer; (3) printing a second image on the recording medium after the feeding roller has been rotated N turns; and (4) determining difference of the actual external dimension from the theoretical external dimension, based on both the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunari Yoshida