Patents Issued in January 28, 2014
  • Patent number: 8639105
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging unit, a focus detection unit configured to detect a focusing state of a focus lens, a designation unit configured to receive a designation of an in-screen position of an object displayed on a display screen, and a control unit configured to control a movable range of the focus lens when the focusing state is detected by the focus detection unit such that if the designation unit does not designate the in-screen position of the object, the movable range is set to be a first range and, if the designation unit designates the in-screen position of the object, the movable range is set to a second range that is wider than the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ogino
  • Patent number: 8639106
    Abstract: A camera system includes a housing with an aperture and an alignment feature surrounding the aperture to define an optical axis extending through the aperture. A camera module is mounted inside the housing and engages the alignment feature to align the camera module with the optical axis. A lens assembly that may have a moveable element is included in the camera module. A voice coil motor may support the moveable element of the lens assembly. A plurality of magnets are arranged on the camera module adjacent to the alignment feature to retain a detachable lens on the housing and engage the alignment feature to align the detachable lens with the optical axis. The plurality of magnets may be further arranged to minimize interference with the voice coil motor and movement of the moveable element of the lens assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Nathan Gleason, Misha Scepanovic
  • Patent number: 8639107
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens includes a diaphragm, a driving unit for driving thereof, an operation member for setting an aperture value thereof, a switching unit for switching the operation member between permission and inhibition, and a control unit for operating, when the interchangeable lens is mounted on a camera main body including no recognition unit to recognize information on the aperture value set by the operation member, the driving unit according to a diaphragm driving command from the camera main body if the switching unit is in a state of inhibiting the operation of the operation member, and operate the driving unit according to the aperture value set by the operation member if the switching unit is in a state of permitting the operation of the operation member, and giving a response to the camera main body in a form of operating the driving unit according to the diaphragm driving command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Hirai
  • Patent number: 8639108
    Abstract: In an imaging apparatus including a stepping motor that drives a diaphragm, a favorable moving image exposure control is carried out while reducing electrical power required for holding the diaphragm position. When a rotor and the magnetic poles of a stator do not face each other in a first mode, a control unit of the stepping motor drives the rotor to a facing position, and shuts off the current in a coil. When the diaphragm driving does not occur in a second operation mode, the control unit shuts off the current in the coil at the state where the rotor of the motor and the magnetic poles of the stator face each other. A holding current to be supplied to the motor is shut off in the first and second. The program profile of a diaphragm drive method and an exposure control is switched depending on the type of an imaging lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minoru Hirose
  • Patent number: 8639109
    Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging apparatus includes: an objective optical system that forms a subject as a real or virtual image. Light beams of the subject, emitted in different paths of the objective optical system by independent optical systems, are imaged again as a parallax image, which is converted into an image signal. A control unit moves a front-side principal point of each of the imaging optical systems, so that the ratio of the length of a perpendicular line from that front-side principal point to the optical axis of the objective optical system with respect to the length of a line connecting the point at which the perpendicular line and the optical axis intersect and the focal point of the objective optical system becomes constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sunao Aoki, Masahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 8639110
    Abstract: A photographic stitching device that has a generally planar structure having an offset aperture, a capture device mount proximate to the offset aperture, and a mounting structure to accommodate a camera frame. The photographic stitching device allows a photographer to capture a matrix of precisely overlapping photographs that can later be electronically stitched together to create a higher resolution composite image, a panoramic image, a vista, a stereoscopic image, a 3-D image, an artistic rendering, or similar custom and unique photographic products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Inventor: Michael Joseph Winiarski
  • Patent number: 8639111
    Abstract: An exchangeable lens includes a holding portion where twelve lens connector terminals, each connected to one of the twelve body connector terminals and each having a contact area to come into contact with one of the body connector terminals, and at least one auxiliary lens terminal having a contact area are disposed therein so as to form a circular arc pattern relative to the amount center point. An interior angle formed by the contact area of the auxiliary lens terminal and the contact area of the eleventh lens connector terminal at the mount center point is smaller than an interior angle formed by the contact area of the first lens connector terminal and the contact area of the eleventh lens connector terminal at the mount center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuharu Imafuji, Masafumi Oikawa
  • Patent number: 8639112
    Abstract: A transmitter for a communications link is tested by using a (software) simulation of a reference channel and/or a reference receiver to test the transmitter. In one embodiment for optical fiber communications links, a data test pattern is applied to the transmitter under test and the resulting optical output is captured, for example by a sampling oscilloscope. The captured waveform is subsequently processed by the software simulation, in order to simulate propagation of the optical signal through the reference channel and/or reference receiver. A performance metric for the transmitter is calculated based on the processed waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: ClariPhy Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Lindsay
  • Patent number: 8639113
    Abstract: Servers attached to a data communications network, such as a wavelength division multiplexed network, are made aware of events on the network, such as a protection switch for scheduled maintenance to reduce latency and improve performance, etc. Switching data paths on the data communications network is no longer transparent to the server. A message from the network equipment is received and decoded by a holographic enterprise interface coupled to the server and to a virtual network operation centers. The network equipment reports network switch conditions to the holographic enterprise interface and other connected servers. In response to the network switch conditions, the holographic enterprise interface may automatically reprovision data traffic on the network quickly enough to prevent server timeouts and workload interruptions. The switching is then shown in real time in the virtual network operations center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Casimer M DeCusatis, Michael J Osias
  • Patent number: 8639114
    Abstract: In the optical communication device and the optical communication system using DPSK modulation whose cost is low, whose size is small and whose power consumption is low, the N:1 multiplexer 125 generates a serial signal by multiplexing a parallel signal coded by the DPSK modulation coding units 115˜117 bit by bit on a time division basis. The electric-phase modulation optical converter 127 converts a serial signal into a phase modulation light. The N-bit delay interferometer 132 executes DPSK decoding with respect to a phase modulation light by comparison with an N-bit preceding optical signal. The optical-electric signal converter 134 converts a decoded intensity modulation light into an electric signal. The N:1 demultiplexer 136 divides an electric signal converted by the optical-electric signal converter 134 into a number N of signals bit by bit on a time division basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Satomi Shioiri, Toshiharu Itou, Kiyoshi Fukuchi, Hitoshi Takeshita
  • Patent number: 8639115
    Abstract: A bidirectional optical network, in which an incoming/downstream modulated optical signal(s) of a particular wavelength may carry content from a headend to a subscriber. An incoming/downstream unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s) from the headend is time-shifted (i.e., time delayed with respect to just received incoming/downstream optical signal(s)), collected, modulated and sent back as return/upstream optical signal(s) from the subscriber to the headend. The return/upstream optical signal(s) may have the same wavelength or a slightly shifted wavelength relative to incoming/downstream optical signal(s). Wavelength, bandwidth, subscriber priority and service (content) provider may be fixed, dynamically, or statistically assigned. A modulated marker optical signal(s) is sent along with a modulated data optical signal simultaneously in a different plane. The modulated data optical signal(s) can therefore be securely delivered to a subscriber(s) according to the marker identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Dorica Properties NY LLC
    Inventor: Mohammad A. Mazed
  • Patent number: 8639116
    Abstract: The present invention provides reduced power dissipation and other benefits at the optical transport network layer by utilizing a digital subcarrier optical network comprising multiple digital subcarrier cross-connect switches. This offers several advantages for optical networks, including spectral efficiency and robustness against signal corruption and consumption of less energy than traditional TDM-based electric switches (OTN/SONET/SDH).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Inventors: Ron Hui, Andrea Fumagalli
  • Patent number: 8639117
    Abstract: A dynamic bandwidth allocation apparatus of a passive optical network detects guarantee agreement information of each transmission container (T-CONT) queue of at least one optical network unit (ONU) that is connected to the dynamic bandwidth allocation apparatus in order to dynamically allocate a bandwidth is provided. The dynamic bandwidth allocation apparatus sets a queue threshold according to a buffer size of each T-CONT queue of at least one ONU, and calculates a service level agreement (SLA) parameter of at least one ONU using guarantee agreement information and a queue threshold. The dynamic bandwidth allocation apparatus allocates a bandwidth for every frame of each ONU using each SLA parameter of at least one ONU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Hark Yoo, Geun Yong Kim, Youngsuk Lee, Sung Chang Kim, Jong Deog Kim, Dongsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 8639118
    Abstract: Consistent with the present disclosure, data, in digital form, is received by a transmit nodes of an optical communication, and converted to analog signal by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to drive a modulator. The modulator, in turn, modulates light at one of a plurality of wavelengths in accordance with the received data. The modulated light is then transmitted over an optical communication path to a receive node. At the receive node, the modulated optical signal, as well as other modulated optical signals are supplied to a photodetector circuit, which receives additional light at one of the optical signal wavelengths from a local oscillator laser. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is provided in the receive node to convert the electrical signals output from the photodetector into digital form. The output from the ADC is then filtered in the electrical domain, such that optical demultiplexing of individual channels is unnecessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Kuang-Tsan Wu, John D. McNicol, David F. Welch, Stephen G. Grubb, Pierre Mertz
  • Patent number: 8639119
    Abstract: A remote node for a wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network (WDM PON). The remote node comprises means for receiving uplink optical signals from one or more optical network units of the WDM PON; a broadband reflector for reflecting a self-seeding portion of the respective uplink optical signals to the respective uplink light sources; and wherein the reflector comprises a gain medium and is configured for receiving a pump optical signal from a central office of the WDM PON for amplifying the self seeding portion of the respective uplink optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Agency for Science, Technology and Research
    Inventors: Yang Jing Wen, Zhaowen Xu, Xiaofei Cheng, Yixin Wang
  • Patent number: 8639120
    Abstract: A system is provided for electrical domain optical spectrum shaping. The system may include a laser, a modulator, a first electrical filter, and a second electrical filter. The laser may be configured to output an optical carrier signal. The modulator may be configured to modulate the optical carrier signal to output a modulated optical signal based on a first filtered input signal and a second filtered input signal received by the modulator. The first electrical filter may be configured to filter a first input signal to produce the first filtered input signal. The second electrical filter may be configured to filter a second input signal to produce the second filtered input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Inwoong Kim, Paparao Palacharla, Takao Naito
  • Patent number: 8639121
    Abstract: A switched wireless system is used to increase the range of peer-to-peer communications. The optically-switched fiber optic communication system includes a head-end unit (HEU) having a switch bank. Cables couple the HEU to one or more remote access points in different coverage areas. The switch bank in the HEU provides a link between the remote access points in the different coverage areas such that devices in the different cellular coverage areas communicate with each other. By using the switched communication system, the range and coverage of communication between devices may be extended such that devices in different coverage areas and devices using different communication protocols can communicate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC
    Inventors: Jacob George, Michael Sauer, Dean M. Thelen
  • Patent number: 8639122
    Abstract: An optical transceiver configured to perform filtering of digital diagnostics prior to the filtered results being made accessible to a host computing system (hereinafter referred to simply as a “host”) that is communicatively coupled to the optical transceiver. The optical transceiver includes sensor(s) that measures analog operational parameter signals such as temperature and supply voltage. The analog signals are each converted to a plurality of digital samples by analog to digital converter(s). A processor executes microcode that causes the optical transceiver to perform filtering on the various samples. The optical transceiver may then make the filtered result accessible to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Finisar Corporation
    Inventors: Luke M. Ekkizogloy, Gerald L. Dybsetter, Jayne C. Hahin, Stephen T. Nelson
  • Patent number: 8639123
    Abstract: One method configures an all-optical network such that at least eighty percent of optical fiber spans of a portion of a first all-optical path of the network have substantially a first residual dispersion per span and at least eighty percent of optical fiber spans of a remainder of the first all-optical path have residual dispersions per span substantially differing from the first residual dispersion per span. The remainder of the first all-optical path includes an overlap between the first all-optical path and a second all-optical path of the network. The second all-optical path has a plurality of optical fiber spans and a substantially singly periodic dispersion map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Paul Robert Claisse, Rene′-Jean Essiambre
  • Patent number: 8639124
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dimming a luminary for lighting and data transmission in visible light communications (VLC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas R. Castor, Samian Kaur, Weimin Liu
  • Patent number: 8639125
    Abstract: A light reception device includes: an interferometer that outputs a signal obtained by making an optical phase modulated signal interfere with a reference signal after shifting an optical phase of the optical phase modulated signal by a given amount; a light reception element that receives an output signal from the interferometer and converts the output signal into a light reception current; and a phase controller that controls a control amount in controlling the given amount so that a value of a function, which is calculated based on an amount relating to the light reception current and a change amount of an amount relating to the light reception current against the control amount, becomes an extreme value or 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Optical Components Limited
    Inventor: Koji Terada
  • Patent number: 8639126
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for compensating for a coarse frequency offset between a received optical signal and a local oscillator at a demodulator. Multiple samples are received of an output of a discrete Fourier transform performed on the received optical signal. A magnitude of each sample is determined, and the determined magnitudes may be filtered by a digital domain filter. A difference is computed between the determined magnitudes for a first set of the samples and the determined magnitudes for a second set of the samples, and a local oscillator correction factor is generated based on at least the computed difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Nimon, Fan Mo, William Thesling, Sameep Dave
  • Patent number: 8639127
    Abstract: We demonstrate a novel type of data receiver, which has superior performance compared to a standard receiver when an input signal is distorted by timing jitter. A method and apparatus for improved timing jitter tolerance includes sampling an input signal more than once within a bit slot of the input signal and determining, using logic circuitry, from a combination of at least a subset of the samples, a resulting logic state for an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Lothar Benedict Erhard Josef Moeller
  • Patent number: 8639128
    Abstract: An image output apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a test-threshold acquiring unit that acquires a test threshold that is a pass-fail criterion for the image test for determining whether the test image data passes or fails the image test; a changing unit that changes a density detection mode of at least one of the image forming unit and the image reading apparatus on the basis of the test threshold; a density correcting unit that corrects density used in an image forming process performed by the image forming unit; and a reference-image-data acquiring unit that acquires the reference image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Kazunari Tonami
  • Patent number: 8639129
    Abstract: A printing system includes an instruction unit for instructing, in response to determination of using a reuse consumable in the case of replacement of a consumable of an image forming apparatus, a setting to be changed according to the replacement with the reuse consumable, wherein the setting instructed by the instruction unit is performed in the image forming apparatus after the replacement with the reuse consumable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8639130
    Abstract: A developer accommodating apparatus includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; developer detecting means, including a light receiving element for receiving light emitted by a light emitter, for detecting the developer in said developer accommodating portion; a cylindrical light guide member, provided projected from a side surface of said developer accommodating portion, for guiding the light emitted from said light emission element to said light receiving element; a rotatable member provided on a peripheral surface of said light guide member and rotatable about said light guide member; and driving means for rotating said rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukihiro Miura, Toshiyuki Harashima
  • Patent number: 8639131
    Abstract: A belt drive apparatus, including, an endless belt to be laid across in a tensioned condition between supporting rollers and to travel being in pressure contact with or being separated from a body to receive the pressure contact, a pressure contact/separating state detection section to detect whether the endless belt is in the pressure contact with the body or separated therefrom, a belt position detection section to detect a position of the endless belt in a width direction thereof, a belt abnormality judging section to judge whether the endless belt is in an abnormal position based on a detection result obtained by the belt position detection section and one of judgment values which are set correspondingly to the pressure contact/separating state of the endless belt, and a belt drive control section to control a drive of the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Youbao Peng, Satoshi Ogata, Takashi Nara, Tadashi Matsudaira, Akihiro Hayashi, Eiji Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8639132
    Abstract: A developer recovery container includes a first room that stores a recovered developer; a plurality of linearly obliquely arranged recovery ports facing the first room, a developer removed by a cleaning unit for an intermediate transfer unit and a developer removed by a cleaning unit for a black-image bearing member being dropped in the first room respectively through top one and bottom one of the recovery ports; a second room formed below an area between one of the recovery ports located next to the top recovery port and another recovery port located next to the one recovery port, the developer flowing from the first room to the second room; a conveying unit that conveys the developer in the first room to the second room by a quantity of the developer exceeding a storage limit of the first room; and a sensor that detects the developer in the second room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonori Sato, Masami Tanase
  • Patent number: 8639133
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus including a current regulation unit configured to regulate a surge current generated on a primary side of a piezoelectric transformer. The surge current is generated when the piezoelectric transformer including a piezoelectric element and a holding unit, which are connected to each other using a conductive rubber, is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Nemoto
  • Patent number: 8639134
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that can reduce the time required for adjustment operations when a first adjustment operation that requires speed change and a second adjustment operation that does not require speed change overlap. When first adjustment operation that can be performed at a first speed is to be performed during operation at a second speed lower than the first speed, the image formation speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed. When second adjustment operation that can be performed at a plurality of image formation speeds is to be performed during operation at the second speed, the second adjustment operation is performed while maintaining the second speed. When both the first and second adjustment operations are to be performed during operation at the second speed, the image formation speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadaaki Saida
  • Patent number: 8639135
    Abstract: The present image forming apparatus forms a reference developing material image on an image carrier using an exposure unit and a developing unit before executing auto tone correction processing, and detects the density of the reference developing material image formed on the image carrier. If the detection result indicates that the toner charge amount of the developing material contained in the developing unit is within a predetermined range, auto tone correction processing is executed, whereas if the detection result of the density detecting unit indicates that the toner charge amount of the developing material contained in the developing unit is outside the predetermined range, adjustment processing for adjusting the toner charge amount of the developing material contained in the developing unit to be within the predetermined range is executed before execution of auto tone correction processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noriyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8639136
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying belt for carrying a toner image; an image forming station for forming toner image on the image carrying belt; a sheet feeding belt for feeding a sheet; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the carrying belt onto the sheet fed on the feeding belt; and a controller for controlling speeds of the carrying belt and the feeding belt. The controller is capable of controlling a relative speed between the carrying belt and the feeding belt at multiple levels. The image forming station forms a first toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a first level, and forms a second toner pattern on the carrying belt in a state that the relative speed is at a second level which is different from the first level. The transfer member transfers the first toner pattern and the second toner pattern onto the sheet carried on the feeding belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Takao Nada, Kenichi Iida
  • Patent number: 8639137
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer member having an elastic layer; a toner image forming portion for forming a toner image for an image to be carried on the intermediary transfer member; a transfer member, which presses the intermediary transfer member, for transferring the toner image for the image from the intermediary transfer member onto a recording material; a pressing mechanism capable of changing pressure applied from the transfer member to the intermediary transfer member; and a controller for controlling the toner image forming portion so that a length of the toner image for the image on the intermediary transfer member with respect to a rotational direction of the intermediary transfer member is decreased with an increase of the pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuusuke Torimaru
  • Patent number: 8639138
    Abstract: An image formation device includes a receiving section, a formation section, a fixing section, a switching section, and a controller. The receiving section receives image formation data including image data, and sheet data which includes designations of a sheet and a corresponding fixing pressure. The formation section forms a toner image on the sheet. The fixing section fixes the toner image on the sheet. The switching section switches the fixing pressure between a first or second fixing pressure. When the fixing pressure is switched to the second fixing pressure and the fixing pressure designated by the sheet data is the first fixing pressure, the controller performs a mandatory image formation that includes a low-speed control that conveys the sheet at a speed lower than that for the first fixing pressure, and/or a toner suppression control that performs image formation with a smaller amount of toner than in normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sonoda, Shinya Watanabe, Hirotaka Udagawa
  • Patent number: 8639140
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first photosensitive members, first chargers for charging the first photosensitive members, developer carriers for supplying developer to the first photosensitive members, a first charging-bias applying unit that applies charging biases to the first chargers, development-bias applying units for applying development biases to the corresponding developer carriers, a charging-current sensing unit that separately senses a charging current flowing in each of the first chargers, and a control unit that controls the development biases based on the sensed charging current. When a difference between a reference charging-current value and a detected charging-current value exceeds a predetermined value, if the detected charging-current value is larger than the reference charging-current value, the control unit increases an absolute value of a development bias applied to a developer carrier corresponding to the charger having the difference exceeding the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kensuke Miyahara
  • Patent number: 8639141
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a rotatable intermediary transfer member onto which the toner image is to be primary-transferred from the image bearing member, a contact member movable toward and away from the intermediary transfer member, a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the contact member, a current detecting circuit for detecting a current passing through the contact member, and a control portion for effecting control so that the contact member is in contact with or separated from the intermediary transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8639142
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus transferring a toner image on an intermediate transfer member onto a sheet in a transfer nip between a nip forming member and the transfer member, a resistance or environment detection device detects electrical resistance of the sheet or an environmental parameter correlated with the resistance, an output device outputs a transfer current, a storage device stores, as an algorithm for calculating a transfer current target value according to an image area ratio in the nip, algorithms corresponding to different resistances or environmental parameters, and a control device selects and uses, from the algorithms, an algorithm according to the detection result of the resistance or environment detection device as the algorithm for calculating the target value, and controls an output current value to equalize a current value based on the image area ratio in the nip with the target value based on the algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Aoki
  • Patent number: 8639143
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing roll that is rotatable; a belt member that is stretched over the fixing roll; a pressurizing roll that pressurizes the fixing roll via the belt member; a belt pressing member that presses an outer surface of the belt member to the pressurizing roll from inside of the belt member on a downstream side at a pressure-contact position between the fixing roll and the pressurizing roll; and a controller that decrease a time difference between a passage time per unit area of a tip region of a recording medium and a passage time per unit area of a succeeding region of the recording medium to pass a pressure-contact portion between the fixing roll and belt pressing member and the pressurizing roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Fukuda, Takahito Chiba, Sho Watanabe, Masayuki Kono, Tomoyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 8639144
    Abstract: In a fixing apparatus, a first detection portion detects a temperature of an atmosphere (a first detected temperature) attained by heat conduction from a heating rotating member for fixing a toner image on a sheet of paper by heating, at a position above the heating rotating member. A second detection portion detects a quantity of infrared rays radiated from the heating rotating member, to thereby detect a temperature at a position below the heating rotating member. A heating portion heats the heating rotating member. A control portion controls heating by the heating portion based on a second detected temperature corresponding to the quantity of infrared rays and the first detected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc
    Inventor: Yutaka Otsuka
  • Patent number: 8639145
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus including: a print process part; a heat roller including a heating element; a press roller including a heater; a power source part having a power upper limit value that is smaller than a sum of heating power for the heat roller and the press roller plus initial power and is larger than the heating power; a power source control part to control supply or stop of the initial power; a plurality of temperature sensors to detect respective roller temperatures; and a determination part to determine necessity of supplying the initial power by the power source control part based on a temperature difference between the respective roller temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8639146
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus arranged to produce groups of printed sheets. Each group includes a plurality of sequential sheets. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of storage units each configured to store the printed sheets produced by an image forming unit, a sorter unit configured to sort the printed sheets of a group into a plurality of portions, wherein the sheets in each portion are in sequential order, and to output each of the portions to a different storage unit, and a display unit configured to display an indication of the storage unit storing the portion including the first or the last sheet of the group such that a user is directed to collect the portion including the first or the last sheet of the group from the indicated storage unit first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiya Fujinaga
  • Patent number: 8639147
    Abstract: A method for managing the printing of documents on pre-printed media, which includes the steps of: receiving a print job representing a document to be printed; detecting an orientation of a pre-printed media being fed into an image forming apparatus; processing the print job for printing based on the orientation of the pre-printed media; and printing the print job on at least one sheet of the pre-printed media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Hui Qian, Kenneth Young
  • Patent number: 8639148
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a fan to generate an air flow within the image forming apparatus, and a controller to drive the fan at a first speed corresponding to a first time period representing an image forming operation and to drive the fan at a second speed corresponding to a second time period corresponding to operations other than the image forming operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung Ho Kyung, Jeong Hwan Kim, Myung Song Jung
  • Patent number: 8639149
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exhaust fan, an exhaust duct, and a filter. The exhaust duct is configured to discharge a gas in an apparatus body to the outside thereof by using an airflow generated by the rotation of the exhaust fan. The filter is provided in a pathway of an airflow flowing through the exhaust duct, arranged substantially parallel to a ventilation direction of the exhaust duct, and configured to reduce chemical substances contained in the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Gakushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8639150
    Abstract: A development device includes a developing section to visualize a latent image formed on a latent image carrier with developer including toner and carrier. The development device has a developer supply opening and a developer collection opening, a circulation unit to transport the developer collected from the developer collection opening of the developing section to the developer supply opening of the developing section and including a developer container to store the developer collected from the developing section disposed upstream from the development section in a direction in which the developer is circulated, and a developer cooler to cool the developer contained in the developer container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Tomoya Ohmura, Yasuo Takuma, Junichi Matsumoto, Hiroshi Kikuchi, Natsumi Katoh
  • Patent number: 8639151
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, a fixing device, a conveying roller, and a control unit. The printing unit is configured to form an image by transferring toner onto a sheet. The fixing device is configured to heat and fix the toner onto the sheet. The fixing device is disposed on the downstream side of the printing unit. The conveying roller is configured to convey the sheet from the fixing device. The conveying roller is disposed on the downstream side of the fixing device. The control unit is configured to control the sheet heated by the fixing device to pass through the conveying roller a plurality of times before the image is formed on the sheet by the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Ohno
  • Patent number: 8639152
    Abstract: A cleaning member 100 is constituted, for example, by a roll-shaped member having a shaft 100A and an elastic layer 100B. The elastic layer 100B is spirally disposed on the surface of the shaft 100A. A space 100C enclosed by the spirally disposed elastic layer 100B (side surface thereof) and the shaft 100A (outer circumferential surface thereof) is provided and a filling member 100D for filling the space 100C is disposed in a portion of the space 100C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki Yamaura
  • Patent number: 8639153
    Abstract: A cleaning body has: a shaft; a cleaning member that is spirally wound around the shaft, and that has an elastic layer and an adhesive layer whose obverse is adhered to the elastic layer and whose reverse is adhered to the shaft; and a contacting member that is provided at least one end portion in an axial direction of the shaft, and that contacts the adhesive layer at a position away from an circumferential surface of the shaft. The cleaning body causes the elastic layer to contact a body to be cleaned, and cleans a body to be cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Suto
  • Patent number: 8639154
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image, and a rotatable and endless intermediate transfer member, wherein a toner image is primarily transferred from the image bearing member to the intermediate transfer member in a first primary transfer part, and a toner image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the image bearing member in a secondary primary transfer part. In addition, a charge member is provided upstream of the first primary transfer part and downstream of the secondary primary transfer part in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member to charge residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member and not being transferred onto the transfer material in the secondary primary transfer part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishizumi, Seiji Saito, Tomoo Akizuki, Takeshi Shinji
  • Patent number: 8639155
    Abstract: A stopper for plugging a developer filling port includes a stopper main body and a lock member engageable with the stopper main body. The stopper main body is configured to be fitted to the filling port and shaped like a tube with a bottom. The lock member has a rigidity greater than that of the stopper main body, the lock member engaged with the stopper main body serves to restrict deformation of the stopper main body. A developing device for use in an image forming apparatus includes the stopper configured as described above to be fitted to its developer filling port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Kato