Patents Issued in August 6, 2013
  • Patent number: 8503893
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer unit to store two-component developer which includes toner and carrier and develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, a toner concentration detector to detect toner concentration in the developer unit, a toner supply unit to supply toner to the developer unit, and a controller to control toner supply amount by controlling the toner supply unit by comparing an output value of the toner concentration detector with a reference value stored in a memory and correcting difference between output values of the toner concentration detector at two or more process linear velocities in accordance with the toner concentration in the developer unit. A compensation amount for correcting difference between output values of the toner concentration detector that differ depending on the process linear velocity is adjustable in accordance with the toner concentration in the development unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Yoshida, Nobutaka Takeuchi, Shin Hasegawa, Yoshiaki Miyashita, Kohta Fujimori, Kayoko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8503894
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing apparatus including: a pair of rotating bodies that transports a recording medium on which an image is formed by using an image forming material, by sandwiching the recording medium; a heating section that heats at least one of the pair of rotating bodies; a moving section that moves the pair of rotating bodies between a position at which they mutually contact and a position at which they are mutually separated; a temperature detecting section that detects a surface temperature of at least one of the pair of rotating bodies without contacting the rotating bodies; and a twine generation determining section that determines whether the recording medium has twined around either one of the pair of rotating bodies based on a rate of temperature increase after a temperature decrease of the surface temperature detected by the temperature detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Misawa
  • Patent number: 8503895
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural toner adhered amount detectors that detect an amount of toner particles adhered to the toner image on the image bearer and an image density controller to form a gradation pattern by sequentially arranging plural toner patches in the sub-scanning direction on the image bearer from the least toner adhered amount patch. These toner patches bear a different amount of toner particles from each other. The plural toner patches are detected by the plural toner adhered amount detectors, and the image density controller adjusts an image formation condition for the image formation device based on detection values thereof. These toner adhered amount detectors are symmetrically aligned in a main scanning direction above the image bearer. The image density controller forms the plural toner patches being staggered at different positions on the image bearer, facing these toner adhered amount detectors, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Hirai
  • Patent number: 8503896
    Abstract: An image formation device for forming an image on a print medium by an electrophotographic process comprises a photosensitive body on which a developer image to be transferred to the print medium is formed by the electrophotographic process including charging of the photosensitive body, a charging unit which includes a charging wire and a grid and thereby electrically charges the photosensitive body, a charging power unit which applies wire potential to the charging wire, a wire potential measuring unit which measures the wire potential, and a charging control unit which controls the amount of electric charge supplied from the charging unit to the photosensitive body by controlling the wire potential based on the wire potential measured by the wire potential measurement unit. The charging control unit includes a control range restricting unit which restricts a control range of the wire potential within a prescribed electric potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Inukai, Masamitsu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8503897
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may includes an image carrying body, a intermediate transferring unit which includes an intermediate transferring belt to which a visible image on the image carrying body is transferred, a driving roller to drive the intermediate transferring belt, and a first roller support unit to support a rotation shaft of the driving roller. The image-forming apparatus also includes a medium transferring unit to transfer a visible image on the intermediate transferring belt to a printing medium and includes a transferring roller to move between a pressing position pressing the driving roller to interpose the intermediate transferring belt therebetween and a separated position separated from the pressing position, and a second roller support unit to support a rotation shaft of the transferring roller. The pressing position of the transferring roller can be regulated by a contact of the first roller support unit and the second roller support unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Myung-sik Kwon, Sang-hoon Mun
  • Patent number: 8503898
    Abstract: A fixing device including a rotatable fixing member to fix a toner image on a recording medium, a pressing member to press against the fixing member to form a nip portion therebetween, through which the recording medium passes, and a nip pressure applying mechanism that movably supports the pressing member. The nip pressure applying mechanism presses the pressing member against the fixing member at a predetermined nip pressure during a fixing operation, and draws the pressing member away from the fixing member for a predetermined distance before the fixing operation. The predetermined distance is set depending on a condition for the fixing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masami Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8503899
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a display unit for displaying a program which can be executed in the apparatus so as to be identified is disclosed. The apparatus has: an input unit for inputting a program into the image forming apparatus; a display control unit for controlling a process for displaying select keys including a plurality of select keys to instruct a selection of a desired one of a plurality of programs stored in the image forming apparatus onto a display screen displayed on the display unit; and a discriminating unit for discriminating whether the select key to instruct a selection of the program inputted by the input unit can be further displayed onto the first display screen to display the select keys corresponding to the programs registered in the image forming apparatus in response to the input of the program from the input unit or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mamoru Osada
  • Patent number: 8503900
    Abstract: There is provided a power supply unit, comprising: a converter transformer; a first low voltage generation unit to generate a first voltage on a secondary side of the converter transformer and output the first voltage; a first controller that controls an activation state of a primary side of the converter transformer based on the first voltage; an inactivation unit to inactivate operation of the first controller based on the first voltage to let the first low voltage generation unit to suspend output of the first voltage; a high voltage supply unit to output a high voltage higher than the first voltage by using the first voltage; a detection unit to detect an anomalous state concerning output of the high voltage of the high voltage supply unit. The high voltage supply unit inactivates the operation of the first controller through the inactivation unit when the anomalous state is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsumi Inukai
  • Patent number: 8503901
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a latent image forming device; a developing device; an electrode which faces to the image carrier; an electric power source, a toner contamination detecting device for detecting toner contamination onto the electrode; an electrode cleaning device for cleaning the electrode; and a controlling section. The control section controls the electric power source to apply at least an alternating current voltage to the electrode so that toner image is rearranged by reciprocally moving toner of the toner image between the image carrier and the electrode control section and allows the electrode cleaning device to clean the electrode when the toner contamination detecting device detects toner contamination on the electrode, and performs the toner rearrangement by the electrode from which the toner contamination is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Akita, Seiko Itagaki, Natsuko Minegishi, Hiroyuki Saito
  • Patent number: 8503902
    Abstract: An electrophotographic printer includes a rotatable member and a carriage rotatable around an axis. Two rotatable chargers are mounted on the carriage, each for charging the rotatable member. A carriage drive rotates the carriage to bring the first charger into contact with the rotatable member and the second charger into operative arrangement with a cleaner, or vice versa. A charger drive rotates the charger in operative arrangement with the cleaner at a speed greater than a selected speed or with a torque greater than a selected torque, and the rotatable member rotates the rotatable charger in contact therewith at the selected speed with the selected torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James N. Alkins, Jeffrey Allan Pitas, Young No
  • Patent number: 8503903
    Abstract: A developer collecting device includes a housing provided with an opening opposed to a developer carrying member, a collecting member provided on a support member and capable of coming into contact with and separating from the developer carrying member, a suction path provided between the opening and a suction member for sucking developer removed from the developer carrying member, an opening-closing plate that opens or closes the suction path, an urging member that urges the opening-closing plate, a retaining member that retains the opening-closing plate, and an opening-closing unit including a rotating member and an elastic member whose ends are connected to the rotating member and the support member. The elastic member is pulled so as to rotate the rotating member in association with a movement of the collecting member, thereby rotating the opening-closing plate so as to open or close the suction path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Yamada, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama, Masaaki Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 8503904
    Abstract: A developing device develops a latent image on an image carrier by using a developer. The device includes a developer carrier that faces the image carrier and is configured to rotate while magnetically holding developer on its outer circumferential surface. The device also includes a magnetic member elongated along a rotational direction of the developer carrier to form a gap that surrounds the outer circumferential surface. The magnetic member overlaps an end of a developing region in a direction of a rotational axis of the developer carrier, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis. When a side of the magnetic member close to a center of the developer carrier is divided into first and second sides and located downstream and upstream in the rotational direction, respectively, the first side is set back further from the center than a position where the first and second sides meet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuusuke Okuno
  • Patent number: 8503905
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible endless fixing member; a metal member; and a pressing member. “A” is equal to or less than “Bmax” and greater than “Bave” (“Bmax”?“A”>“Bave”), where “A” represents an amount of a clearance at the time of normal temperature between the fixing member and the metal member, “Bmax” represents a maximum amount of deformation generated in the metal member when heating is started by the heating member from a normal temperature state, and “Bave” represents an amount of stable deformation generated in the metal member when the temperature of the entire metal member becomes even.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Shinshi, Yasunori Ishigaya
  • Patent number: 8503906
    Abstract: An assembling method for a process cartridge the assembling method includes a step of preparing a drum unit supporting a electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a step of preparing a developing unit supporting a developing roller for developing a electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum a developer supplying roller for supplying a developer to the developing roller and a developer accommodating portion having a developer supply opening; a unit coupling process of coupling the drum unit and the developing unit with each other; a first-end developing-device spacing member mounting step after the unit coupling process of engaging with a opening provided at a first end portion of the drum unit a first-end developing-device spacing member provided rotatably about a shaft at a first end portion of the developing unit to regulate rotation of the developing unit relative to the drum unit; and a second-end developing-device spacing member mounting step of engaging, with a proje
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Suzuki, Kazuo Chadani
  • Patent number: 8503907
    Abstract: Disclosed are an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a detachable development cartridge having arranged therein a photoconductive drum and a developing roller for forming a toner image through a development nip formed between the photoconductive drum and the developing roller. The development cartridge may include a development nip control member that can switch between a first position, in which the development nip control member causes the photoconductive drum to be separated from the developing roller, and a second position, in which the development nip control member causes the photoconductive drum to be in a pressing contact with the developing roller so as to form therebetween the development nip. The development cartridge may be mounted in the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus with its development nip control member being in the first position, separating the photoconductive member from the developing roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min-Sik Ji, Jai-Il Choi, Jun-Hee Lee, Jong-In Kim, Sang-Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 8503908
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotary body which rotates in accordance with an image forming operation; a rotation shaft of the rotary body; a through hole which is provided in an end portion in an axial direction of the rotation shaft; a stabilizing member which is provided to rotate together with the rotary body and stabilize the rotary body by reducing fluctuations of rotation of the rotary body under inertia, and which has an inserted portion into which the rotation shaft is inserted; a holding member which is disposed so as to be adjacent to the stabilizing member in the axial direction to hold the stabilizing member on the rotation shaft; a through hole which is formed in the longitudinal portion correspondingly to the through hole provided in the rotation shaft; and a clamp member which passes through the through hole provided in the longitudinal portion and the through hole provided in the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuaki Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8503909
    Abstract: An color image forming apparatus 1 has photosensitive units 5 and developing units 6 that can be drawn out of an apparatus main body along a direction of a photosensitive drum 15 and has an intermediate transfer unit 7 that can be drawn out of the apparatus main body along a moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt 10. The color image forming apparatus 1 includes a pressing release mechanism 41 that releases pressing against the photosensitive drum 15 by a primary transfer roller 8 in conjunction with an operation required at a time of drawing out any of the photosensitive unit 5, the developing unit 6, and the intermediate transfer unit 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Yonemoto
  • Patent number: 8503910
    Abstract: A drive device to rotatively drive N number of image carriers. The drive device includes a single drive motor to generate torque to be transmitted to the image carriers, N number of drive gears to transmit the torque to the image carriers, an input gear rotatively driven by the torque and engaging a first drive gear to transmit the torque to the first drive gear, and N?1 number of idler gears provided between each of the drive gears, respectively, to transmit the torque from the drive gears provided on an upstream side to the drive gears provided on a downstream side in a direction of transmission of torque. The torque generated by the drive motor is sequentially transmitted from the first drive gear to the Nth drive gear via the idler gears to rotatively drive the image carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromichi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8503911
    Abstract: Provided are the following charging member and a method of producing the charging member. The charging member has an improved charging ability and hence alleviates, in particular, a positive ghost. The charging member can maintain resistance to the adhesion of toner, a toner external additive, or the like over a long time period. The charging member for an electrophotographic apparatus comprises an electro-conductive support, an electro-conductive elastic layer, and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer comprises a polymer compound having an Si—O—Ti linkage in a molecular structure thereof, and the polymer compound has each of constitutional units represented by a formula (1), a formula (2), and a formula (3) defined in the description. The method is a method of producing the charging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriko Suzumura, Noriaki Kuroda, Masataka Kodama, Yuya Tomomizu, Hiroki Masu
  • Patent number: 8503912
    Abstract: An electrophoretic printing system is provided comprising a transfer printing station for transfer printing charge images developed with liquid toner comprising a carrier fluid and toner and wherein the developed charge images are transferred to a recording medium. A wetting unit provided adjacent to the recording medium before the transfer printing station as viewed in a movement direction of the recording medium wets the recording medium with a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Pohlt
  • Patent number: 8503913
    Abstract: Provided is a toner dispersing mechanism, including: a housing arranged between a toner storage container and a developing device and provided with a toner filling port communicating to the toner storage container and a toner discharge port communicating to the developing device; and a dispersing member constituted by a large number of dispersing protrusions formed of an elastic material on a rotary shaft rotatably supported in the housing and on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, in which toner replenished from the toner storage container is dispersed and discharged into the developing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Asami Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8503914
    Abstract: Provided is a toner dispersing member including a rotary shaft and dispersing protrusions formed of a flexible film member wound along an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, the flexible film member including a large number of cuts formed on one side thereof and are directed outward. The toner dispersing member is rotated about the rotary shaft so that a lump of toner coming into contact with the dispersing protrusions is dispersed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ohashi, Ryoji Nishimura, Masahiro Kashimoto
  • Patent number: 8503915
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner container that contains a toner, an auger screw, a toner discharge port, a shutter, an internal opening/closing valve and a stirring paddle. The internal opening/closing valve is provided as a member for closing the toner discharge port, in addition to the shutter. The shutter is fixed to a position at which the toner discharge port is always opened in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus. The internal opening/closing valve is provided at a position facing the toner discharge port of a driving side end of a rotation shaft of the auger screw. The internal opening/closing valve is composed of a rectangular sheet member having flexibility, and closes the toner discharge port by blocking the entire toner discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kimura, Takeshi Okuda
  • Patent number: 8503916
    Abstract: The present invention can provide a developing roller which can form a stable image in wide ranging environments from a low temperature/low humidity environment to a high temperature/high humidity environment. The developing roller includes a surface layer including a silicon oxide film containing at least a carbon atom chemically bonded to a silicon atom, an oxygen atom chemically bonded to a silicon atom, and a fluorine atom chemically bonded to a silicon atom and/or a carbon atom. The silicon oxide film has an abundance ratio of the fluorine atom to the silicon atom (F/Si), an abundance ratio of the oxygen atom forming a chemical bond to the silicon atom to the silicon atom (O/Si), and an abundance ratio of the carbon atom forming a chemical bond to the silicon atom to the silicon atom (C/Si) have values in particular ranges, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Genya Anan, Masahiro Kurachi
  • Patent number: 8503917
    Abstract: A roller component includes a layer composed of a foamed rubber material including plural cells formed by gas, the layer being formed into a substantially cylindrical body, wherein a volume of the cells decreases from an inner side of the substantially cylindrical body toward the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Ichizawa
  • Patent number: 8503918
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a belt unit, a coil unit, a rotatable driving member, and positioning and urging mechanisms. The belt unit includes an endless belt to heat a toner image on a sheet at a nip portion. The coil unit opposes an outer surface of the belt and generates a magnetic flux for heating the belt. The driving member rotates the belt and forms the nip portion with the belt. The positioning mechanism positions the coil unit with respect to the belt unit and includes two positioning portions on each side of the coil unit with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof. The urging mechanism urges the coil unit toward the belt unit. The coil unit is supported by the belt unit at three of the four positioning portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Koshida
  • Patent number: 8503919
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit which forms a chromatic toner image and a clear toner image on a recording material, and a fixing unit which fixes these toner images on the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a specifying unit, into which a level of image clarity and a level of gloss including a glossiness of an image are input for image formation; and a control unit that controls an adhesion amount of clear toner per unit area on the recording material based on input information on the image specified by the specifying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takuroh Sone, Kei Yasutomi, Kazuki Funahashi
  • Patent number: 8503920
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member which carries an image composed of a developer, a lubricant application device which applies a lubricant onto the image carrying member, and a cleaning blade which abuts against the image carrying member to scrape the developer. The cleaning blade is formed of a material whose tensile stress-elongation test shows that the definite integral of a tensile stress with respect to an elongation percentage on an interval between the elongation percentage of zero and the elongation percentage at which the stress is a predetermined value is a predetermined upper limit value or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Kashiwakura, Yoshiki Nakane, Ikuko Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 8503921
    Abstract: A medium supply device includes a placing portion for placing a medium; a medium supply unit for picking up at least one medium urged against the medium supply unit from the placing portion; a cover member disposed to be movable; and a regulating member attached to the cover member for separating the placing portion from the medium supply unit when the cover member moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8503922
    Abstract: A printer is operable for image formation onto a sheet of a sheet width Lp, with a sheet spacing Lg and a printing transfer speed Vg, a constant speed transferrer makes sheet transfer at the printing transfer speed Vg from a register via the printer to a speed change position, a variable speed transferrer makes sheet transfer from the speed change position to the register, and a transfer controller controls sheet transfer speeds, the variable speed transferrer having sections for sheet transfer, including deceleration and acceleration sections for sheet reversal at the sheet reversing path, and a constant speed section for transfer at a constant transfer speed Vr, the transfer controller determining a circulating sheet number N, executing a calculation of transfer speed Vr employing sheet width Lp, sheet spacing Lg, printing transfer speed Vg, and accelerations, to enable sheet transfer for circulation within a time interval of N×(Lp+Lg)/Vg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Maeda, Masashi Hara
  • Patent number: 8503923
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a particular tray, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the particular tray to a first conveying path in a feed direction, a recording unit positioned along the first conveying path, and a driving roller positioned along a second conveying path and configured to convey the sheet, after the sheet passes the recording unit, along the second conveying path and back to the first conveying path. The particular tray includes a side guide configured to position the sheets in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the feeding direction. The side guide includes a guide member that defines at least a portion of the second conveying path and is configured to guide the sheet along the second conveying path, and a driven roller rotatably supported on the guide member and configured to pinch the sheet against the driving roller as the sheet is conveyed along the second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Naokazu Tanahashi, Shota Iijima, Masatoshi Izuchi, Satoru Nakakita
  • Patent number: 8503924
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, system, and computer product for complete and comprehensive education competency and compliance management method and system for institutions and organizations. The embodiments of the present invention disclose a method whereby a sponsoring organization or institution need only provide secure access to the hosting organizations content delivery for ease of capture, organization of and reporting on the entire educational program. The sponsoring organization is able to direct employees to educational activities required to be completed based on the compliance requirements for their role in the organization. The hosting organization remains content independent to objectively provide the “best value” content for sponsoring organizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Dion
  • Patent number: 8503925
    Abstract: A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium includes a sender of information signals each carrying information and a targeter for use by a user having a receiver with a targeter. There are a number of the receivers constructed and arranged to receive signals from the sender through a broadcast communications medium. The targeter includes a number of selectors associated with an action ID and a number of key value paired, constructed and arranged to indicate action to be taken by a user of a selected receiver in the condition that the selector evaluates to true given the values stored in the targeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: TV Band Service LLC
    Inventor: John M. Chapin
  • Patent number: 8503926
    Abstract: An interference cancellation repeater employing zero-IF or direct conversion radio architecture implements IQ imbalance compensation using a metric and an adaptive algorithm. The metric is based on the image rejection ratio of the repeater and is indicative of the level of spectral image caused by the repeater's receiver or transmitter IQ imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Gainey, James Arthur Proctor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8503927
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for utilizing a repeating function to improve quality of service. According to embodiments, a method for utilizing a repeating function to improve quality of service is provided. According to the method a first mobile cellular device is selected. An instruction is transmitted to the first mobile cellular device instructing the first mobile cellular device. The instruction causes the first mobile cellular device to relay communications between the second mobile cellular device and the cellular service provider. The first mobile cellular device thereby provides the repeating function for the second mobile cellular device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Aaron
  • Patent number: 8503928
    Abstract: A communications system including communications devices is provided. A communications device, a trainer, generates at least one concatenated training sequence, transmits the at least one concatenated training sequence, and receives one or more response messages describing corresponding channel characteristics from at least one of the rest of the plurality of communications devices. One or more of the rest of the plurality of communications devices, trainees, each receives the at least one concatenated training sequence, determines channel characteristics between the trainer and a trainee according to the at least one received concatenated training sequence, embeds channel characteristics information to generate at least one of the response messages, and transmits the response message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Chao-Chun Wang, Yuh-Ren Jauh, Yung Ping Hsu
  • Patent number: 8503929
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for providing wireless communication may comprise encoding within a single chip, FM audio data received by a FM radio. The encoded received FM audio data may be translated within the single chip to a Bluetooth compatible format. The translated received FM audio data may be communicated to at least one off-chip Bluetooth enabled device via the Bluetooth radio via at least one of the following: a synchronous connection oriented (SCO) link, an extended SCO (eSCO) link, and an advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) link. The received FM audio data may be communicated via a dedicated link that couples the FM radio to a PCM interface that handles the encoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Brima Ibrahim, Mitchell Buznitsky, Angel Polo, John Walley, Theodore A. Trost
  • Patent number: 8503930
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for signal transmission via body conduction are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received data and/or audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Data and/or audio signals may be encoded and transmitted or received along or through the user's body to an oral appliance contained within or along the user's mouth. Alternatively, information may be transmitted between various other devices over the user's body aside from an oral appliance. The encoded signals may be decoded and the auditory signals may be transmitted via vibrational conductance to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Reza Kassayan
  • Patent number: 8503931
    Abstract: An NFC-enabled device configured at least in part as an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including a controller and a plurality of capacitors. The controller is operable to control one or more of the plurality of capacitors to vary an operating parameter of the NFC-enabled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Innovision Limited
    Inventor: Robin Wilson
  • Patent number: 8503932
    Abstract: A portable communication device is configured to communicate with an associated remote motion input device. The remote motion input device is configured to be attached to a portion of a user and configured to detect orientation and motion data. The portable communication device includes a remote motion input device controller that receives motion data from the remote motion input device via a local wireless link and converts the motion data into input commands such that the portable communication device carries out functions according to the input commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Mobile Comminications AB, Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Randolph C. Demuynck, Kevin M. Shay
  • Patent number: 8503933
    Abstract: A device capability attribute regarding a setting on communication parameters, and provision attribute information indicative of whether or not a communication terminal is in a state that it can provide communication parameters to another communication terminal are stored in advance. The communication terminal, where the device capability attribute has at least a provision capability of the communication parameters, is selected as a provision device. In a case where there are plural communication terminals where the device capability attribute has a communication parameter provision capability, a communication terminal where the device capability attribute has the communication parameter provision capability only is preferentially selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Moritomo, Kenichi Fujii, Tatsuhiko Sakai, Mitsuhiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8503934
    Abstract: A communications device includes a first radio (106, 300) configured to support wireless communications with a second radio (104) using a plurality of communications modes. The device includes a switch element (118, 326) configured to cause the first radio to transmit when actuated. The device also includes a control element (306, 324) for detecting one or more actuations of the switch element and configured to select a one of the plurality of communications modes based on a sequence of the actuations of the switch element detected by the control element during a pre-defined time interval and to cause a wireless transmission from the first radio to the second radio according to the one of the plurality of communications modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Beghini, Eric Van Ness, Donald R. Martz, David Hinterberger
  • Patent number: 8503935
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium allows a terminal to concurrently receive control input from multiple secondary devices through a short distance communication mode. The terminal is connected with at least two secondary devices in the short distance communication mode. A key map is applied to the connected secondary devices. When a key signal is received from at least one of the connected secondary devices, the secondary device that transmitted the key signal is identified. And a function mapped to the key signal is executed according to the key map applied to the identified secondary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Nam Il Kim
  • Patent number: 8503936
    Abstract: A method is provide that comprises detecting an incoming or outgoing call; and sending data to a paired device for displaying a plurality of elements associated with the call in a user interface on the paired device prior to connecting the call, the plurality of elements having been obtained from a plurality of sources accessible to the mobile device. Another method is provided, which comprises receiving data from the mobile device for displaying a plurality of elements associated with the call in a user interface on a paired device prior to connecting the call, the plurality of elements having been obtained from a plurality of sources accessible to the mobile device; and displaying the plurality of elements in a user interface on the paired device using the data received from the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Chris Sam Kermoian, Joseph Patrick Thomas Goguen
  • Patent number: 8503937
    Abstract: Some embodiments concern a method of transmitting electrical signals. The method can include: using a global positioning satellite receiver to determine a first location of a first electrical device; using a first transmitter to transmit the first location to a first server; using a receiver to receive information identifying at least one first unused frequency at the first location from the first server; selecting a first transmission frequency from the at least one first unused frequency; and communicating the first transmission frequency to a user. Other embodiments are disclosed in this application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Belkin International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian VanHarlingen, Michael Tad LeDuc, Shane Igo, Richard James Elgie, David Kleeman, Jason Tu, Vannin Gale, Timothy Brewer, Oliver Duncan Seil, Kent Iverson, Chad Singer
  • Patent number: 8503938
    Abstract: A wireless terminal receives and measures broadcast reference signals, e.g., beacon and/or pilot signals, transmitted from a plurality of base station attachment points. The wireless terminal monitors for and attempts to recover broadcast loading factor information corresponding to attachment points. The wireless terminal generates and transmits an interference report to a current attachment point, the report based on the results of a measured received reference signal from the current attachment point, a measured received reference signal from each of one or more different attachment points, and uplink loading factor information. In the absence of a successfully recovered broadcast uplink loading factor corresponding to an attachment point, the wireless terminal uses a default value for that loading factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajiv Laroia, Junyi Li, Sundeep Rangan, Murari Srinivasan, Prashanth Hande, Arnab Das
  • Patent number: 8503939
    Abstract: A method for handling communication between a user equipment and a radio network controller of an UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) radio access network includes: providing a transmission instruction by the radio network controller for redirecting the user equipment to a target carrier frequency, the target carrier frequency being an allowed frequency of a local access radio network; evaluating if the target carrier frequency is interfered by the local access radio network near the user equipment; and preventing a redirection of the user equipment to the target carrier frequency by the radio network controller for a certain time period, if the target carrier frequency is interfered by the local access network near the user equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Deutsche Telekom (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Jeremy Bray
  • Patent number: 8503940
    Abstract: A method for interference suppression, including receiving a sample of an aggressor communication signal from a sensor embedded in a flex circuit, emulating interference that the aggressor communication signal imposes on a victim communication signal, and suppressing the imposed interference in response to applying the emulated interference to the victim communication signal. In other aspects, the flex circuit comprises a plurality of traces running substantially parallel to one another along a surface of the flex circuit, and the sensor comprises one of the plurality of traces and one of a plurality of traces of another flex circuit. In still other aspects, the flex circuit comprises a plurality of traces running substantially parallel to one another and the sensor comprises a trace of the flex circuit running perpendicular to the plurality of traces running substantially parallel to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Quellan, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Gebara, Andrew Joo Kim, Joy Laskar, Anthony Stelliga, Emmanouil M. Tentzeris
  • Patent number: 8503941
    Abstract: In one embodiment a communications system includes an unmanned vehicle and a communications station located remote from the unmanned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle has a first wireless communications system and a first directional antenna for wirelessly communicating with the remote communications station. A first antenna control system tracks the remote communications station and aims the first directional antenna, in real time, at the remote communications station during wireless communications with the remote communications station. The remote communications station has a second wireless communications system having a second directional antenna for wirelessly communicating with the unmanned vehicle. A second antenna control system of the remote communications station tracks the unmanned vehicle and aims the second directional antenna at the unmanned vehicle, in real time, during wireless communications with the unmanned vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David Erdos, Timothy M. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 8503942
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and arrangements in a telecommunication system for network-controlled bandwidth for neighbor cell measurements. An appropriate network unit in the serving cell signals measurement bandwidth values to the UE which uses the signal values to perform one or more downlink measurements on the serving as well as the neighbor cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Muhammad Ali Kazmi, Anders Furuskär