Akihiko Hamamoto

US Patent:

6404507, Jun 11, 2002

Filed:

Apr 14, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/290864

Inventors:

Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Steven Noyes - Fountain Valley CA
Kazuyuki Masumoto - Irvine CA
Akitoshi Yamada - Irvine CA
Shinji Kanemitsu - Irvine CA
Hiromitsu Hirabayashi - Irvine CA

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

358 15, 358 118

Abstract:

Printing on a recording medium by lateral scans of a print head in accordance with print data. Content of print data is determined. Then, the print data is printed either with a first lateral scan process using a critical zone at edges in a lateral scan of the print head for printing, or with a second lateral scan process that does not use the critical zone for printing. The first or second lateral scan process is selected based on the print data. Preferably, the critical zone is sized in correspondence with ramp up non-uniformities of a print carriage on which the print head is mounted, so as to accommodate a distance between a point where print degradation due to speed non-uniformities are noticeable to a point where print degradation due to speed non-uniformities are no longer noticeable. The second lateral scan process preferably is a process in which a predetermined margin is inserted into the first lateral scan process. The second lateral scan process is used if print data for a current scan and print data for a previous scan, in at least the critical zone, are continuous print data, thereby alleviating ripple effects for the continuous data.

US Patent:

6421581, Jul 16, 2002

Filed:

Sep 12, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/660352

Inventors:

Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Akitoshi Yamada - Yokohama, JP
Peter L. Cheng - Irvine CA
Takao Aichi - Irvine CA
Hiromitsu Hirabayashi - Yokohama, JP

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 700

US Classification:

700223, 271 314, 271 316, 271 152, 27125803

Abstract:

Feeding a plurality of successive sheets of a recording medium by calculating an expected time for a page end detection of a current sheet, and feeding a next sheet of the successive sheets in accordance with the calculated time, but prior to detection of the page end of the current sheet. Calculating the expected time may be detecting the page end for the current sheet, and mathematically filtering the page end detection of the current sheet with a current estimate of expected time for page end detection of the next sheet. The current estimate may be initialized after a first sheet of the successive sheets with a page end detection of the first sheet. The feeding of the next sheet may be controlled by controlling a time between the current sheet and the next sheet based on a time between the page end detection of the current sheet and a detection of the next sheet so as to obtain and maintain the time within a target range. Whether the page end detection of the current sheet is detected within a threshold amount of time after feeding of the next sheet has commenced may be determined, and where the page end of the current sheet is not detected within the threshold, the feeding of the next sheet is interrupted and a recovery process is engaged. The recovery process may be waiting for a page end detection of the current sheet and re-initiating feeding of the next sheet.

US Patent:

6557961, May 6, 2003

Filed:

Jun 22, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/886088

Inventors:

Peter L. Cheng - Irvine CA
Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Takao Aichi - Irvine CA

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

B41J 2938

US Classification:

347 9, 247 14

Abstract:

A method of preventing printing artifacts by detecting a distance between the print head and the recording medium as the print head and the recording medium and utilizes the detected distance in determining an adjusted ink ejection frequency. The adjusted ejection frequency for each print head scan position may be stored in a look up table.

US Patent:

6587038, Jul 1, 2003

Filed:

Jun 22, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/886089

Inventors:

Peter L. Cheng - Irvine CA
Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Takao Aichi - Irvine CA

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

G08B 300

US Classification:

3403841, 318 35

Abstract:

A system and method for generating an audible sound in an imaging device is provided, the device having an electronic motor controllable by a first operation sequence to perform a first function. When a condition is detected for which an audible sound is to be generated as notification of the condition, a motor is rotated according to a second operation sequence so as to create the audible sound as notification of the condition, wherein the second operation sequence causes the motor to rotate in a manner, other than the motor rotation resulting from the first operation sequence, so as to cause the motor to perform only the notification function.

US Patent:

6594028, Jul 15, 2003

Filed:

Apr 14, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/291010

Inventors:

Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Peter L. Cheng - Newport Beach CA
Steven Noyes - Fountain Valley CA
Tetsu Kaneko - Irvine CA
Takao Aichi - Irvine CA
Kazuyuki Masumoto - Irvine CA
Akitoshi Yamada - Irvine CA

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06E 1500

US Classification:

358 115, 358 19, 358 113, 358 11, 347 14, 347 16, 347 15, 347 17

Abstract:

A printer driver executable in a computer connectable to a driven printer. In response to initiation of a print job, the print driver obtains current status of the printer. Based on the status of the printer, the print driver modifies operational parameters of the printer prior to commencement of the print job, so that the operational parameters are different from default ones of such parameters. In addition, the print driver modifies its own operational sequence based on the printer status, so that the operational sequence of the printer is different from a default sequence without such status information.

US Patent:

6604803, Aug 12, 2003

Filed:

Sep 12, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/660355

Inventors:

Tadashi Hanabusa - Kanagawa, JP
Akitoshi Yamada - Kanagawa, JP
Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Masashi Kamada - Irvine CA
Hiromitsu Hirabayashi - Kanagawa, JP

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

B41J 2938

US Classification:

347 14

Abstract:

Control of an ink ejection frequency to compensate for recording medium unevenness in printing by inducing a predetermined unevenness pattern into a recording medium, adjusting an ink ejection frequency of a print head based on the induced unevenness pattern, and controlling ink ejection based on the adjusted frequency. A plurality of print heads may be employed that may correspond to different color inks and may be controlled by a same control signal or individually. Control may also be varied for bi-directional printing based on a printing direction. The adjustment of the ink ejection frequency may be providing a predetermined recording unevenness pattern having periodic oscillations, dividing each periodic oscillation into a predetermined number of regions, setting a number of ink droplets to be ejected within each region, determining a gate array interval for each region, providing at least one parameter corresponding to a printing operation, and determining an ink ejection trigger difference for each ink droplet to be ejected within each region.

US Patent:

6631976, Oct 14, 2003

Filed:

Apr 14, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/291162

Inventors:

Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Akitoshi Yamada - Irvine CA
Hiromitsu Hirabayashi - Irvine CA

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

B41J 2165

US Classification:

347 35, 347 23

Abstract:

An ink jet printing apparatus which performs printing by using a print head. The print head has at least a predetermined number of nozzles to eject ink. The apparatus includes a first prefiring mechanism for causing the print head to perform a prefiring operation to eject ink from nozzles of the print head for maintaining printing quality after a first time interval during a printing operation. The apparatus also includes a driving mechanism for driving nozzles of the print head based on data to be printed, and a second prefiring mechanism for causing the print head to perform the prefiring operation in a case where a number of the nozzles to be driven is changed. Preferably, the apparatus further includes a shifting mechanism for causing the driving mechanism to drive the nozzles of the print head based on the first time interval during the printing operation so as to enhance a power of ejecting ink and continue the printing operation after the first time interval without performing the prefiring operation. The shifting mechanism also preferably delays the prefiring operation to a second time interval longer than the first time interval, and after the second time interval, the first prefiring mechanism causes the print head to perform the prefiring operation. In a case where the number of nozzles to be driven is changed within a time duration after the first time interval and during the second time interval, the second prefiring mechanism causes the print head to perform the prefiring operation.

US Patent:

6650436, Nov 18, 2003

Filed:

Apr 14, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/291161

Inventors:

Akihiko Hamamoto - Irvine CA
Peter L. Cheng - Newport Beach CA
Takao Aichi - Irvine CA
Kazuyuki Masumoto - Irvine CA
Akitoshi Yamada - Irvine CA

Assignee:

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Tokyo

International Classification:

G03H 1500

US Classification:

358 19, 358 11, 358 119, 358 118, 399389, 399388, 399397, 271270, 271202, 271203

Abstract:

A printer in which the speed at which the recording medium is loaded into the printer prior to printing, at which the recording medium is moved through the printer during printing, and at which the recording medium is ejected from the printer after printing, are automatically selected based upon existing print modes and printing-related conditions, and which provides for concurrent pre-printing processes and tasks to occur during the loading of the recording medium.