The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 19, 2016
Filed:
Feb. 14, 2013
Hideo Mae, Kitanagoya, JP;
Takayuki Ito, Nagoya, JP;
Hideo Mae, Kitanagoya, JP;
Takayuki Ito, Nagoya, JP;
KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus, having: a supply unit that forwards a sheet material; a rotor that feeds the sheet material; a memory unit that has stored therein a masking sound for noise; a derivation unit that derives a current position of the sheet material being fed; a determination unit that determines, on the basis of the current position derived by the derivation unit, whether or not the sheet material being fed has reached a second specified location at a predetermined distance upstream from the first specified location; a decision unit that decides output timing and/or output duration for the masking sound in the memory unit upon an affirmative determination by the determination unit; and a sound output unit that outputs the masking sound in the memory unit in accordance with the output timing and/or the output duration.