Patents Issued in July 29, 2014
  • Patent number: 8792097
    Abstract: Systems for applying pigment to a substrate has a spectrophotometer integral to the system and supplies light to the substrate and receives light from the substrate. One or more pigment dischargers integral to the system apply one or more pigments to the substrate. A spectrometer spectrally analyzes the one or more pigments applied to the substrate. The spectrometer includes an optical sensing circuit having plurality of optical sensors and one or more processing elements and a plurality of filter elements fixedly positioned with respect to at least a first group of the optical sensors. An optical implement is fixedly positioned with respect to the plurality of filter elements and has a plurality of outputs and at least one entrance. The spectrometer is fabricated in a unitary manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: 511 Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne D. Jung, Russell W. Jung, Alan R. Loudermilk
  • Patent number: 8792098
    Abstract: A system and method for a hyperspectral illuminator. The hyperspectral illuminator includes an LED array for generating light of a predefined spectra. The hyperspectral illuminator further includes multiple collimators. Each of the multiple collimators is associated with one an LED of the LED array and focus the light into beams. The hyperspectral illuminator further includes multiple dichroic filters. The dichroic filters filter the beams. The hyperspectral illuminator further includes one or more integrator lenses for mixing the filtered beams into a uniform pattern for projection on to a target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Digital Light Innovations
    Inventors: Duane Scott Dewald, Karel J. Zuzak, William Boyd Werner
  • Patent number: 8792099
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measurement of individual phases of beams from a beam steering laser array relative to a reference laser beam. The disclosed method and apparatus is based on the use of a partially reflecting ellipsoidal reflector or dual paraboloidal reflector having two focal areas to make an image of the laser array located in one of the focal areas appear at the other focal area. Illumination of this image with a phase modulated beam from a reference laser coherent with the laser array allows the application of dithering techniques to measure individual phases of beams from array. Any laser beam in the array or a separate laser coherent with the laser array can be used as a reference beam. In addition, the partially reflecting ellipsoidal reflector or dual paraboloidal reflector can provide protection for the beam steering laser array from environmental impacts or damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventor: Oleg M. Efimov
  • Patent number: 8792100
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for optical measurement of a target, wherein the target is illuminated, either actively illuminated, reflecting ambient light, or self illuminating, and a measurement light beam received from the target or through it is detected. The prior art optical measurement systems generally include mechanical filter wheels and photomultiplier tubes, which cause the equipment to be expensive, large-sized and often not sufficiently accurate and stable. The objective of the invention is achieved with a solution, in which the illuminating light beam and/or measurement light beam is led through a Fabry-Perot interferometer or a set of two or more Fabry-Perot Interferometers, and the Fabry-Perot interferometer or a set of two or more Fabry-Perot Interferometers is controlled into different modes during the measurement of a single target. The invention can be applied in optical measurements where, for example, reflectance, absorption of fluorescence of the target is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimu Skeskus VTT
    Inventors: Heikki Saari, Christer Holmlund, Uula Kantojarvi, Rami Mannila, Antti Lamminpaa, Pekka Teppola
  • Patent number: 8792101
    Abstract: A colorimetric sensor includes an etalon including a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a fixed mirror formed on a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and a movable mirror formed on the second substrate so as to face the fixed mirror with a prescribed gap therebetween, a light receiving element that receives a test subject light having passed through the etalon, and a holding member holding the etalon. The etalon includes a light interference area facing the first and second substrates in a plan view as seen in a thickness direction of the substrate, and a protruding area protruding from the light interference area. The holding member holds the etalon at one end side of the protruding area opposite to the light interference area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8792102
    Abstract: A detection system for a two-dimensional (2D) array is provided. The detection system comprises an electromagnetic radiation source, a phase difference generator, a detection surface having a plurality of sample fields that can receive samples, and an imaging spectrometer configured to discriminate between two or more spatially separated points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abhijit Vishwas Patil, Sandip Maity, Veera Venkata Lakshmi Rajesh Langoju, Anusha Rammohan, Sameer Dinkar Vartak, Umakant Damodar Rapol
  • Patent number: 8792103
    Abstract: A system for analysis of a fluid, comprises a light source for radiating a beam of light an optical path for guiding at least part of the beam of light, a fluidic channel for guiding the fluid along the optical path, and a detector for detecting an optical characteristic of the light having propagated along the optical path. The optical path comprises a multimode interference structure, the multimode interference structure being arranged for providing a propagation of the beam of light in at least two propagation modes, the detector being positioned so as to receive light from each of the at least two propagation modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ostendum Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Aurel Ymeti, Paulus Hendricus Johannes Nederkoorn, Johannes Sake Kanger, Alma Dudia, Vinod Subramaniam
  • Patent number: 8792104
    Abstract: The instant disclosure describes an optical device for the interferometric analysis of the surface condition of an object, including: a light source; an optical fiber capable of receiving the incident light wave and transmitting said wave to the object; a detector capable of detecting a combination between a light wave reflected by the optical fiber and a light wave returned by the object; and in which the optical fiber has a free end in the shape of a cone, with a vertex angle of between 15 and 25 degrees, the tip of the cone having dimensions of less than 50×50 nm, and the tip of the cone being placed, while in use, at a distance of between 5 and 50 ?m from the surface of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignees: Universite Joseph Fourier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Joël Chevrier, Serge Huant, Wilfrid Schwartz, Alessandro Siria
  • Patent number: 8792105
    Abstract: An interferometer includes a variable optical path length reference mirror to produce a final interferogram from a combination of interferograms. Each of the interferograms is generated at a different optical path length of the reference mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Si-Ware Systems
    Inventors: Diaa A. Khalil, Bassam A. Saadany
  • Patent number: 8792106
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a hopper unit, a separating unit, a reading unit, an ejecting unit, a stacking unit, a control unit, and a storage unit. The control unit includes a detecting unit that detects abnormal reading of the document read by the reading unit, an image storing unit that associates the read image and an abnormal reading result with a reading order of the document to store, a separation stacking unit that controls the ejecting unit to separate the document in which the abnormal reading is detected and the document in which the abnormal reading is not detected to eject to the stacking unit, a rereading unit that allows the reading unit to read again the document in which the abnormal reading is detected, thereby obtaining a reread image, and an image replacing unit that replaces the image corresponding to the reading order with the reread image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Akira Iwayama
  • Patent number: 8792107
    Abstract: An uninstaller extracts a print setting included in only a printer driver to be uninstalled, deletes information relating to the extracted print setting from all presets (a preset description file) to be registered in an OS, extracts a default value of print setting items for all print queues other than a print queue corresponding to the printer driver to be uninstalled, deletes information relating to the preset which does not differ in the print setting from the extracted default value from the preset description file, and uninstalls the printer driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Natori
  • Patent number: 8792108
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image-processing designating unit that allows a user to designate predetermined image processing to be applied to image data for generating a preview image that represents a state of an output image before image output; a preview-image generating unit that generates a preview image in accordance with the designated image processing; a preview-image display unit that displays the preview image generated by the preview-image generating unit; and a display-mode switching control unit that, when the preview image is displayed, switches to a display mode with an enhanced viewability relative to a power-saving display state in accordance with a content of the designated image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8792109
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus connected via a network with one or more of image forming apparatuses includes: a power source detection section which detects an image forming apparatus turned on; and a setting section which sets a mode shift time for shifting from a normal power mode to a power saving power mode a power consumption of which is less than a power consumption of the normal power mode of each of the image forming apparatuses; and a notice section which notices the set mode shift time to the image forming apparatus corresponding to the mode shift time, wherein the setting section changes the mode shift time when a plurality of image forming apparatuses which has been turned on is connected with the network, by comparing with a case when the network is connected with only one image forming apparatus turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tamada, Akinori Kimata, Kenji Yamamoto, Akihiro Hayashi, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Kenji Tamaki
  • Patent number: 8792110
    Abstract: Systems and methods for securing a document for transmission are discussed. In one embodiment, a document is checked for an indication of confidentiality. The document is then passed to a secure driver, in response to a finding of the indication of confidentiality. The document is passed to a non-secure driver, in response to a failure to find the indication of confidentiality. The document is then transmitted after processing by the secure driver or the non-secure driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Keith Moore
  • Patent number: 8792111
    Abstract: A plurality of licenses included in a package license and respectively corresponding to a plurality of applications is stored in a first storage unit, the plurality of applications is stored in a second storage unit, and a product information table associating product information with application information for identifying each of the applications is stored in the second storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Yuki
  • Patent number: 8792112
    Abstract: When a simple error for which power off is unnecessary for the error resolution is generated, a movement process is executed without waiting to receive the button operation of the user, when conditions including a paper jam possibility condition are satisfied in a case where a motor error in which the CR motor is generated, a movement process is executed after waiting to receive the button operation of the user, and when the conditions including the paper jam possibility condition are not satisfied even when a motor error is generated, an error display process for a fatal error is performed. In this manner, when the process for a simple error with respect to the generated motor error is executed, the user may perform, for example, removal of the paper that is the cause of the paper jam or the like before the movement process is executed by the button operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Uematsu
  • Patent number: 8792113
    Abstract: The advantage of the invention is to prevent the efficiency of printing from being deteriorated due to execution of an authentication process during a print process by arranging an authentication process not to be conducted during a print process. The multi-purpose device is connected to the authentication switch through the LAN. The authentication switch conducts an authentication process of a device connected to the LAN, and disconnects a connection between the device and the network in a case where the device cannot be authenticated. The multi-purpose device has the authentication requesting section that requests the authentication process with respect to the authentication switch; and the printing mechanism that prints print data. In a case where the printing mechanism conducts the print process, the authentication requesting section requests the authentication process before the printing mechanism starts the print process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Hiroshige, Mamoru Sakai, Katsuyuki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8792114
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to sending data (e.g. print data or a document), in a network environment, to a port monitor, and to upload the data to an upload manager for storing in a database. Relevant data may be sent from a print spooler to the port monitor invoking an upload manger to convey (e.g. securely or non-securely) print data to a web server. A version manager determines whether the print driver being used to print data is authentic, and data are written to a web server as packets of information and sent to a database for storage. Additionally, a system, method and recordable medium are recognized whereby a pass through (e.g. a port monitor filter) is inserted between a print spooler and a port monitor in order to detach the port monitor from the print spooler such that object code can be upgraded for future versions of software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mimeo.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Stewart, Jennifer R. Pinco, David Uyttendaele, Craig Jacobs, Doug Fink, Shawn Roberts
  • Patent number: 8792115
    Abstract: A system includes an image processing device configured to output image data to an image forming device and the image forming device is configured to form an image based on the image data output from the image processing device, wherein information including a type of security is communicated between the image forming device and the image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuzo Harano
  • Patent number: 8792116
    Abstract: A printing controller having a printer driver configured to display a GUI using language-dependent files containing the display character strings of corresponding languages is disclosed. The printing controller includes a compressed language-dependent file into which the language-dependent files are compressed, a language selection part configured to cause one of the languages which one is used by the printer driver to be selected, and an expansion part configured to expand one of the language-dependent files related to the selected one of the languages from the compressed language-dependent file. The printer driver displays the GUI using the one of the language-dependent files expanded by the expansion part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Shimatani, Yuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8792117
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a communication unit that communicates with a designated information processing device, and a controller that, when the communication unit attempts communication with the designated information processing device and the attempt fails, controls the communication unit so as to attempt communication with the designated information processing device by using identifying (ID) information on a transmission source used when a communication attempt with the designated information processing device has succeeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8792118
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computing devices and systems, as well as software, computer programs, applications, and user interfaces, and more particularly, to provisioning electronic fax messages in a communication network including packetized and/or synchronous communications. According to one embodiment, a messaging can receive data representing an electronic document in a file format into a messaging system, convert fax components to a fax compatible format including the electronic document in the file format to form converted fax components, determine whether to generate an electronic facsimile to include the fax components as a pre-rendered electronic facsimile, and transmit the electronic facsimile as the pre-rendered electronic facsimile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: RingCentral Inc.
    Inventors: Vlad Vendrow, Bruce Young
  • Patent number: 8792119
    Abstract: A printing device includes data transfer control units that store an image data transferred from un upper level device into a storage unit and reads out the image data from the storage unit in response to an instruction to start a printing, printing units that print the data onto a recording medium, an output control unit that outputs each image data to a predetermined printing unit, and a printing control unit that instructs the data transfer units to transfer the stored image data corresponding to one page to the output control unit, when a storage report of the image data corresponding to one page is sent from any of the data transfer control units, and stops a conveyance of the recording medium after any of the printing units completes the printing onto the recording medium under the printing in a case that a predetermined specific trouble occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Yoshinori Sochi
  • Patent number: 8792120
    Abstract: A system and method for acquiring document services is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ehud Chatow, Kay-Yut Chen
  • Patent number: 8792121
    Abstract: A method for controlling printing of a print job involves portioning the print job into a plurality of parts via a partition manager, and converting each part of the print job into respective binary image data parts via a Raster Image Processor (RIP) manager. The method further involves controlling a rate of aggregation of the converted parts via a throttle control manager. The rate of aggregation is controlled by monitoring parameters of a printing system used to perform the printing of the print job, determining that at least one of the monitored parameters reaches or exceeds a predefined threshold, and manipulating the rate of aggregation of the converted parts in response to the determining according to a throttle mode predefined for a particular set of monitored parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Shaun Henry, Fabio Giannetti, Paul Wissenbach
  • Patent number: 8792122
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to generate image data of print data containing a drawing object for reuse within a job includes a cache unit, an object parallel processing unit, a page parallel processing unit, and a processing control unit. The cache unit generates data based on the drawing object and caches generated data. The object parallel processing unit divides each page of the print data per drawing object unit and subjects a divided page to raster image processor (RIP) processing in parallel. The page parallel processing unit subjects the print data to the RIP processing per page unit. The processing control unit controls such that, in the print data, the object parallel processing unit executes processing sequentially from an initial page until the data having a value equal to or more than a threshold value is cached and the page parallel processing unit executes processing after the data is cached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8792123
    Abstract: A manufacturing system is disclosed. The manufacturing system may include a personalization mechanism to evaluate personalization information relating to mailpieces, wherein the mailpieces include mail containers and mail content components. The manufacturing system may further include a matching mechanism to compare the containers with their corresponding content components using unique verification codes assigned to each of the containers and content components, wherein the unique verification codes are assigned based on the evaluated personalization information, and a production machine to produce personalized containers and their corresponding content components based on comparison results of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Dwight Ross Palmer, Scott Matthew Jones, Brian Joseph Hogan
  • Patent number: 8792124
    Abstract: A print control apparatus includes the following components. Drawing processing units each perform a drawing process. A sending unit sends the entire print instruction including multiple pages and written in a page description language, to the drawing processing units. The delivering unit delivers each processing request which specifies one of the multiple pages, to a corresponding one of the drawing processing units. When performing, to perform a drawing process in which a print instruction for a page specified by a processing request is converted into print data, an analysis process on the print instruction from the first page to the specified page, each drawing processing unit refers to an identifier in the page description language of the print instruction for pages other than the specified page, and does not perform the analysis process for a range not containing a command that influences a drawing process of other pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masafumi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 8792125
    Abstract: A method and system according to the disclosure facilitates subscription based access to services for image systems including an image acquisition device configured to generate image data describing a target object in a target area of the image acquisition device and an image display device configured to generate a human perceptible rendering of the target object based on the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: THX, Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Polit, Robert C. Carroll
  • Patent number: 8792126
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for routing a facsimile in a computer readable format includes receiving text of a facsimile in a computer readable format; ascertaining one or more of a significance and a relevance of at least a portion of the text by locating one or more keywords in the text, wherein at least two of the keywords are not adjacent in the text; analyzing the text of the facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing the facsimile or text thereof to one or more destinations based on the analysis. Additional disclosed embodiments include systems and computer program products configured to similarly route a facsimile in a computer readable format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kofax, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy Couchman
  • Patent number: 8792127
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a renderer configured to render a one page amount of image data based on intermediate data generated by either a first execution unit or a second execution unit, a printer engine configured to form image data of a page rendered by the renderer on a recording medium, and after forming the image data, stop each unit in the engine when there is no image data formation instruction corresponding to a next page of the page even after a cycle down time limit has elapsed, and a request unit configured to, during generation of intermediate data of a predetermined page by the first execution unit, request an extension of the cycle down time limit set in the printer engine based on a number of pages of rendered image data corresponding to intermediate data of pages following the predetermined page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8792128
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus, inspection system, inspection method, and inspection control program stored in a recording medium, each of which sets a reference point in a master image and a read image read from a printed image, which is to be used for detecting the positional shift between the read image and the master image, based on determination whether a pattern previously added to the printed image for detecting the positional shift is available or can be used to effectively detect the positional shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiji Kojima, Keiichi Miyamoto, Hiroyuki Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8792129
    Abstract: A printing apparatus wherein first image data corresponding to a first document is generated, second partial data corresponding to a partial range of a second document is generated in a state in which the first image data is stored in a storage portion, joint data in which first partial data and the second partial data are joined is generated, the first partial data being included in the first image data and corresponding to a partial range of the first document which is laid out side by side with respect to the partial range of the second document based on the second partial data in a state in which a first image based on the first image data and a second image based on second image data are laid out side by side in a scanning direction of a head, and an image based on the joint data is printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Quanhe Li
  • Patent number: 8792130
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus including: an operation pixel arrangement unit to arrange the operation pixels to be inserted or deleted in a staggered form from one end of the image to the other end of the image in the second direction, so as to satisfy a first condition in which a distance in the first direction between the operation pixels adjacent in the second direction is 2 pixels or more and less than the predetermined number of pixels, and a second condition in which a direction in which the operation pixels adjacent in the second direction are apart from each other is reversed at intervals of not more than 2 pixels which are consecutive in the second direction; and an image enlargement/reduction unit to enlarge or reduce the image by inserting or deleting the operation pixels arranged by the operation pixel arrangement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuhei Kurigata
  • Patent number: 8792131
    Abstract: In printing the same image data as image data printed by a printing unit of an image forming apparatus from another image forming apparatus, an image information processing system and an information processing system are capable of executing arbitrary high-quality printing, which can be implemented by acquiring image data received from an image processing server stored on the image forming apparatus, based on a reference location of a shortcut transmitted from the image processing server. The image information processing system and the information processing system can be controlled by a control method, which can be implemented by a program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mizuki Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8792132
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which may include a forming unit configured to form a mark for image adjustment, a conveyor member configured to convey the mark formed by the forming unit and a detecting unit configured to detect the mark conveyed by the conveyor member. Further, the image forming apparatus may include a removing unit configured to remove the mark conveyed by the conveyor member, from the conveyor member; and a control device. According to aspects of the disclosure, after the forming unit has formed a mark for image adjustment, the control device may be configured to determine whether the mark has been removed from the conveyor member and based on the determination of whether the mark has been removed from the conveyor member, begin printing of print data even when the mark has not been completely removed from the conveyor member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Goto, Kentaro Murayama
  • Patent number: 8792133
    Abstract: A rendering data processing apparatus comprises: a determination unit configured to determine objects of a bitmap pattern in rendering data; a specification unit configured to specify an object, for which a bitmap rendering command can be replaced with a graphic rendering command, among the determined objects of the bitmap pattern; a replacement unit configured to replace the bitmap rendering command for the object specified by the specification unit with the graphic rendering command; and a combination unit configured, in a case where a plurality of patterns designated by a plurality of graphic rendering commands replaced by the replacement unit are arranged adjacent to each other and rendered, to combine the plurality of graphic rendering commands corresponding to the plurality of patterns with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taro Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 8792134
    Abstract: Conventional calibration patches are designed such that gradation values of the patches are determined, based on the overall length of a trajectory of a monochrome ink color in an L*a*b* space, so that distances between patches become uniform, and therefore provide low interpolation accuracy in a region where measurement values change non-linearly in accordance with the change in gradation. According to the present invention, gradation values of patches to be used for color calibration are determined so that the patches are closely arranged in a region where measurement values change non-linearly in accordance with the change in gradation. Thus, interpolation accuracy can be improved in a region where measurement values change non-linearly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Omagari, Mitsuru Uratani, Yuki Ishida, Yutaka Hiyama, Masaaki Obayashi
  • Patent number: 8792135
    Abstract: An image processing device include a memory, a rasterizer and a color space converter. The rasterizer is configured to generate raster data expressed in a first color space by rendering an object in the memory. The color space converter is configured to convert the raster data from the first color space to a second color space capable of being set so as to reproduce gray of gray pixels in the object by any one of a black coloring material and mixture of multiple color materials. The rasterizer determines whether the gray is reproduced by the black coloring material or the mixture of multiple color materials based on an attribute of the object and adds the gray reproduction information that is obtained from the determination to the raster data. The color space converter sets pixel levels in the second color space based on the gray reproduction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Miyata
  • Patent number: 8792136
    Abstract: A processing condition selecting apparatus, a processing condition selecting method, and a storage medium storing a program therein serve to evaluate the production aptitude of a print under a signal processing condition, based on image forming information with respect to the print and prescribed evaluation criteria, to thereby generate a display image visually representing the production aptitude of the print that has been evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Wakui
  • Patent number: 8792137
    Abstract: In a control apparatus, first type binary image data representing density of pixels arranged along a first image direction at a first resolution is acquired, and a first determining process is executed to determine an exposure pattern used to execute exposures of exposure lines at a second resolution lower than the first resolution along a first exposure direction. In the first determining process, a partial exposure pattern for exposing an output partial area that is correlated with a binary partial area and that overlaps N successive exposure lines is determined such that distribution of exposure amounts in the output partial area along the first exposure direction differs according to layout of second-value pixels in the binary partial area at least in the first image direction, thereby enabling an image of color material to be formed through development at a resolution higher than the second resolution in the first exposure direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Shimahashi
  • Patent number: 8792138
    Abstract: A method that includes receiving an image, automatically determining at least one region of interest in the image based on at least one color deficiency type from a plurality of color deficiency types, modifying the image by correcting the at least one region of interest and producing an output of the modified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Jacob Boggs, Scott Timothy Cramer, Matthew Ryan Keniston, Rodney Evan Sproul, Daniel Lee Thomas, Lane Thomas Butler
  • Patent number: 8792139
    Abstract: An image correcting method for an image processing apparatus that reads a bound document and corrects a shadow in a bound portion in obtained document image data includes extracting shadow image data from the document image data, generating a grid with which a ratio of changes in luminance between the grid lines in directions perpendicular to each other is smaller than in a square grid and which has grid points within a capacity of a memory for correction values, calculating first correction values that corrects luminance of pixels in the shadow image data corresponding to grid points, storing the first correction values in the memory, calculating second correction values for luminance of the pixels in the shadow image data based on first correction values of grid points close to each pixel, and correcting luminance of the document image data using the first and second correction values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichiro Makino
  • Patent number: 8792140
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image information processing apparatus that determines, based on image information, a region suitable for inspecting image forming performance of an image forming apparatus in an entire region of an image represented by the image information. The image information processing apparatus includes a segment region extraction unit that extracts a segment region having a predetermined size from the entire region of the image; a color reproducibility prediction unit that predicts a result of color reproducibility of the entire image by using an algorithm in a case where the image forming performance is adjusted based on a color measurement result of the extracted segment region; and an object region determination unit that determines, as an object region, the segment region showing a best one of the plural results obtained by repeatedly performing extraction processing by the segment region extraction unit and prediction processing by the color reproducibility prediction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Hara
  • Patent number: 8792141
    Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed to automatically extract data from documents, such as scanned paper forms and/or digital forms that need to be pre-configured to understand a layout for the forms to be processed. The system extracts data from the form definition at a two dimensional barcode and dynamically configures a workflow with services for extracting desired user filled information from the data fields present on the form. Support for a re-flowable service is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Moore, Francois Ragnet
  • Patent number: 8792142
    Abstract: A method may include determining a shape of a structural document, determining a plurality of dimensions of the structural document, receiving information associated with one or more content items, receiving contact information to include on the structural document, receiving an indication of a location on the structural document where the contact information is to be displayed, and causing a graphical representation of the structural document to be displayed at a computing device. A shape and dimensions of the graphical representation may correspond to the determined shape and dimensions, the contact information may be displayed on the graphical representation at the location, and the graphical representation may include at least a portion of the received content items. The method may include receiving an indication that a user is finished creating the structural document, generating a print document including an encoded data mark, and providing the print document to print-related devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Hannaway, William J. Nowak, Cynthia J. Ryan, Stephen C. Morgana, James Milo Sweet, Reiner Eschbach
  • Patent number: 8792143
    Abstract: A touch panel includes a ring-like shaped light-transmissive portion. A ring-shaped diffusion surface is formed on the bottom surface of a light guide element. The ring-like shape includes a second region provided at a location corresponding to two light sources adjacent to a first region corresponding to one light source. A distance from a location of the ring-shaped light-transmissive portion to a periphery of the ring close to the light source is greater in the second region than in the first region. Light emitted from the light source and incident to the light guide element is diffusion-reflected on the diffusion surface and a part of the diffusion-reflected light illuminates the light-transmissive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Ishida, Hiroshi Ogushi, Noboru Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 8792144
    Abstract: An image reading device includes an arbitrating unit configured to obtain read data on a main-scan-line-by-main-scan-line basis from a first image sensor that reads one side of a document and read data on a main-scan-line-by-main-scan-line basis from a second image sensor that reads the other side of the document. The arbitrating unit transfers a piece of read data obtained from the first image sensor and the second image sensor alternately. The device also includes a reducing unit configured to perform reduction in image data including the read data in a sub-scanning direction in a way that thins on the transferred pieces of read data corresponding respectively to main scan lines; an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on the read data having undergone the thinning; and a transfer unit configured to transfer the read data having undergone the image processing to another unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Mitsuo Shinya
  • Patent number: 8792145
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a conveying unit for conveying documents one by one, a first reading unit for optically reading the conveyed document through a first transparent member provided at a first reading position on a conveying path in the conveying unit, a first cleaning unit for cleaning the first transparent member provided at the first reading position, a second reading unit for optically reading the conveyed document through a second transparent member provided at a second reading position on the conveying path in the conveying unit and on a downstream side of the first reading position, and a second cleaning unit for cleaning the second transparent member provided at the second reading position. The second cleaning unit is higher in cleaning ability than the first cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8792146
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus may include a cable for connecting one device or component to a controller configured to perform functions and execute instructions. To prevent breakage and stress on the cable, the cable may be fixed to a guide component. For example, the cable may be fixed to the guide component on a first side and be held by the component such that the cable includes a generally U-shaped slacked portion. According to one or more arrangements, the guide component may include an escape portion that allows for the movement of an openable unit of the image reading apparatus. In yet other aspects, the guide component may be attachable/detachable from a main body of the image reading apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Ito, Tsutomu Hida