Patents by Inventor Yasutomo FURUTA

Yasutomo FURUTA 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).

  • Publication number: 20250053112
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: at least one processor that is configured to generate second image data corresponding to each of a plurality of light emitting elements based on first image data, the second image data indicating whether to cause each of the plurality of light emitting elements to emit light, and based on correction information, change the first image data indicating that the light emitting elements are to emit light, to the second image data indicating that the light emitting elements are not to emit light, and the circuit unit configured to supply a current to each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the second image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Patent number: 12222660
    Abstract: A light emitting device 401 includes a silicon substrate and a light emitting region including a lower electrode, a light emitting layer, and an upper electrode, and an exposure head is provided with a printed board on which light emitting devices 401 are arranged in a staggered form and a circuit portion 602 for controlling, on the basis of image data, a voltage of each of electrodes included in the lower electrode so that the light emitting device layer emits light and is for forming an image with a resolution corresponding to an arrangement interval of the lower electrode with respect to a crossing direction, and the circuit portion 602 is disposed together with the light emitting region on the silicon substrate. Costs on wire bonding and an area of a wiring board can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutomo Furuta, Takahisa Ono, Hayato Koyama, Hidefumi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20250044482
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a printed circuit board on which light-emitting chips each having a light-emitting element array are arranged in a staggered manner along a reference line that is parallel to an axial direction of a photosensitive member, and a rod lens array that images light from the light-emitting chips onto a surface of the photosensitive member. The rod lens array is constituted by two rows of lenses. The reference line is equidistant from central lines of the first and second lens rows. A proportion of a width of the light-emitting element array in a circumferential direction of the photosensitive member to a lens diameter is about 0.28, and an interval between the reference line and each light-emitting element array belongs to a range from 0.56 to 0.84 times the lens diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Patent number: 12158709
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one processor that is configured to generate second image data corresponding to each of a plurality of light emitting elements based on first image data, the second image data indicating whether to cause each of the plurality of light emitting elements to emit light, and based on correction information, change the first image data indicating that the light emitting elements are to emit light to the second image data indicating that the light emitting elements are not to emit light. A circuit unit is configured to supply a current to each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the second image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasutomo Furuta
  • Patent number: 12140880
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a generating unit that generates correction data for correcting an unevenness in light amount of an exposure head using a read image of a correction chart, and a correction unit that corrects image data for image formation based on the correction data. The exposure head includes light-emitting chips, each of which includes light-emitting elements. The correction chart includes a plurality of regions arranged in a direction, a first reference mark located on one side of the regions, and a second reference mark located on the other side of the regions. The generating unit determines partial regions respectively formed by the light-emitting chips within the regions based on positions of the first and second reference marks in the read image of the correction chart, and generates the correction data based on a result of measurement on the partial regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasutomo Furuta
  • Publication number: 20240361711
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an exposure head including a light emitting portion that includes a first electrode layer including a plurality of electrodes that are two-dimensionally arranged in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, a light emitting layer stacked on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer through which light is transmissible; and a controller configured to control a voltage applied to each of the plurality of electrodes in such a way that the light emitting layer emits light, in which the plurality of electrodes for forming an identical pixel are arranged in such a way that the electrodes partially overlap each other when viewed from the rotation direction, and an inter-centroid distance of the plurality of electrodes in the rotational axis direction is equal in the rotational axis direction, and d3=W1/n (n is a natural number of 2 or more), in which W1 [mm] is a width of the electrode in the rotational axis direction, n is the number of electrodes for
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20240345501
    Abstract: There is provided an exposure apparatus for exposing a photosensitive body. The exposure apparatus includes light-emitting chips arranged along a first direction parallel to an axial direction of the photosensitive body. Each of the light-emitting chips includes: K current sources; and light-emitting elements arranged in the first direction and grouped into K light-emitting element groups. Light-emitting elements belonging to a k-th light-emitting element group are supplied with electric current from a k-th current source, where k=1, 2, . . . , K. For every one light-emitting element group out of the K light-emitting element groups, a width occupied in the first direction by the one light-emitting element group is larger than a lower limit value corresponding to a spatial frequency at which contrast sensitivity of human vision represented by a visual transfer function peaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20240337964
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes light-emitting elements arranged along a direction of a rotation axis of a photosensitive member and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to controls driving of the light-emitting elements, generate correction data for use in increasing or decreasing the number of the light-emitting elements to be turned on based on a correction amount for correcting unevenness in light amount, and correct image data in accordance with a value indicated by the correction data. For a pixel for which the correction amount indicates a value exceeding a predetermined limit value, the correction data indicates a value that is equal to or smaller than the limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Patent number: 12078939
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an exposure head including a light emitting portion that includes a first electrode layer including a plurality of electrodes that are two-dimensionally arranged in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, a light emitting layer stacked on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer through which light is transmissible; and a controller configured to control a voltage applied to each of the plurality of electrodes in such a way that the light emitting layer emits light, in which the plurality of electrodes for forming an identical pixel are arranged in such a way that the electrodes partially overlap each other when viewed from the rotation direction, and an inter-centroid distance of the plurality of electrodes in the rotational axis direction is equal in the rotational axis direction, and d3=W1/n (n is a natural number of 2 or more), in which W1 [mm] is a width of the electrode in the rotational axis direction, n is the number of electrodes for
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasutomo Furuta
  • Publication number: 20240231254
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting chip and at least one processor. The light emitting chip includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a DAC outputting a voltage corresponding to a setting value, and a circuit unit that supplies a current to the plurality of light emitting elements based on the voltage. At least one processor is configured to set the setting value such that one light emitting element included among the plurality of light emitting elements emits light of a predetermined amount, and correct image data pieces that respectively correspond to the plurality of light emitting elements based on first correction data for correcting amounts of light respectively emitted by the plurality of light emitting elements. The circuit unit supplies a current to each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the corrected image data pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Patent number: 11977342
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting chip and at least one processor. The light emitting chip includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a DAC outputting a voltage corresponding to a setting value, and a circuit unit that supplies a current to the plurality of light emitting elements based on the voltage. At least one processor is configured to set the setting value such that one light emitting element included among the plurality of light emitting elements emits light of a predetermined amount, and correct image data pieces that respectively correspond to the plurality of light emitting elements based on first correction data for correcting amounts of light respectively emitted by the plurality of light emitting elements. The circuit unit supplies a current to each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the corrected image data pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasutomo Furuta
  • Publication number: 20240069463
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a generating unit that generates correction data for correcting an unevenness in light amount of an exposure head using a read image of a correction chart, and a correction unit that corrects image data for image formation based on the correction data. The exposure head includes light-emitting chips each of which includes light-emitting elements. The correction chart includes a plurality of regions arranged in a direction, a first reference mark located on one side of the regions, and a second reference mark located on the other side of the regions. The generating unit determines partial regions respectively formed by the light-emitting chips within the regions based on positions of the first and second reference marks in the read image of the correction chart, and generate the correction data based on a result of measurement on the partial regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20230350322
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an exposure head including a light emitting portion that includes a first electrode layer including a plurality of electrodes that are two-dimensionally arranged in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, a light emitting layer stacked on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer through which light is transmissible; and a controller configured to control a voltage applied to each of the plurality of electrodes in such a way that the light emitting layer emits light, in which the plurality of electrodes for forming an identical pixel are arranged in such a way that the electrodes partially overlap each other when viewed from the rotation direction, and an inter-centroid distance of the plurality of electrodes in the rotational axis direction is equal in the rotational axis direction, and d3 = W1/n (n is a natural number of 2 or more), in which W1 [mm] is a width of the electrode in the rotational axis direction, n is the number of electrodes f
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventor: Yasutomo Furuta
  • Publication number: 20230305427
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light emitting chip and at least one processor. The light emitting chip includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a DAC outputting a voltage corresponding to a setting value, and a circuit unit that supplies a current to the plurality of light emitting elements based on the voltage. At least one processor is configured to set the setting value such that one light emitting element included among the plurality of light emitting elements emits light of a predetermined amount, and correct image data pieces that respectively correspond to the plurality of light emitting elements based on first correction data for correcting amounts of light respectively emitted by the plurality of light emitting elements. The circuit unit supplies a current to each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the corrected image data pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20230305426
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: at least one processor that is configured to generate second image data corresponding to each of a plurality of light emitting elements based on first image data, the second image data indicating whether to cause each of the plurality of light emitting elements to emit light, and based on correction information, change the first image data indicating that the light emitting elements are to emit light, to the second image data indicating that the light emitting elements are not to emit light, and the circuit unit configured to supply a current to each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the second image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventor: YASUTOMO FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20230213877
    Abstract: A light emitting device 401 includes a silicon substrate and a light emitting region including a lower electrode, a light emitting layer, and an upper electrode, and an exposure head is provided with a printed board on which light emitting devices 401 are arranged in a staggered form and a circuit portion 602 for controlling, on the basis of image data, a voltage of each of electrodes included in the lower electrode so that the light emitting device layer emits light and is for forming an image with a resolution corresponding to an arrangement interval of the lower electrode with respect to a crossing direction, and the circuit portion 602 is disposed together with the light emitting region on the silicon substrate. Costs on wire bonding and an area of a wiring board can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Yasutomo Furuta, Takahisa Ono, Hayato Koyama, Hidefumi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11635703
    Abstract: A light emitting device 401 includes a silicon substrate and a light emitting region including a lower electrode, a light emitting layer, and an upper electrode, and an exposure head is provided with a printed board on which light emitting devices 401 are arranged in a staggered form and a circuit portion 602 for controlling, on the basis of image data, a voltage of each of electrodes included in the lower electrode so that the light emitting device layer emits light and is for forming an image with a resolution corresponding to an arrangement interval of the lower electrode with respect to a crossing direction, and the circuit portion 602 is disposed together with the light emitting region on the silicon substrate. Costs on wire bonding and an area of a wiring board can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutomo Furuta, Takahisa Ono, Hayato Koyama, Hidefumi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20220179335
    Abstract: A second electrode is laminated on a light emitting layer on an opposite side across the light emitting layer from a first electrode laminated on a silicon substrate. The second electrode is capable of transmitting light. A photoconductor drum is exposed to light by using light transmitted through the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Yasutomo Furuta, Hayato Koyama, Koichiro Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20220171308
    Abstract: An exposure head includes a plurality of light emitting element array chips. A first distance from a first side which is one of two long sides of each of the plurality of light emitting element array chips to one long side of a sealing area which is parallel to and proximate to the first side is shorter than a second distance from a second side which is another one of the two long sides to another long side of the sealing area which is parallel to and proximate to the second side, and a third distance from the first side to one long side of a light emitting area which is parallel to and proximate to the first side is shorter than a fourth distance from the second side to another long side of the light emitting area which is parallel to and proximate to the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Hayato Koyama, Koichiro Nakanishi, Yasutomo Furuta
  • Publication number: 20220146959
    Abstract: A light emitting device 401 includes a silicon substrate and a light emitting region including a lower electrode, a light emitting layer, and an upper electrode, and an exposure head is provided with a printed board on which light emitting devices 401 are arranged in a staggered form and a circuit portion 602 for controlling, on the basis of image data, a voltage of each of electrodes included in the lower electrode so that the light emitting device layer emits light and is for forming an image with a resolution corresponding to an arrangement interval of the lower electrode with respect to a crossing direction, and the circuit portion 602 is disposed together with the light emitting region on the silicon substrate. Costs on wire bonding and an area of a wiring board can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Yasutomo Furuta, Takahisa Ono, Hayato Koyama, Hidefumi Yoshida