Patents Assigned to Eastman Kodak Company
  • Patent number: 11711483
    Abstract: A method for reproducing an out-of-gamut spot color includes determining a color gamut for a color printer, and specifying a spot color by color coordinates in a three-dimensional color space. A first target color is determined corresponding to a color having a minimum color difference to the specified spot color, and a second target color is determined corresponding to a color on the color gamut surface having a hue value equal to a hue value of the specified spot color. A path is defined on the color gamut surface connecting the first target color and the second target color, wherein a control parameter is used to specify a relative position along the defined path. A control parameter prediction function is provided which computes a predicted control parameter value as a function of color coordinates. The predicted control parameter value is used to determine an aim color for reproducing the spot color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Chung-Hui Kuo, Victor Ignacio Ibarluzea, Thomas L. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 11703791
    Abstract: A media transport system is used to transport a media sheet along a media transport path past an image capture system. The image capture system includes an image capture device positioned to capture an image of the media sheet, and a platen positioned behind the media sheet, wherein a surface of the platen includes a non-uniform density pattern. The image capture system captures an image of the media sheet that includes at least one edge of the media sheet and a portion of the platen that extends beyond the edge of the media sheet. An image analysis system automatically analyzes the captured digital image to detect an edge position of the media sheet by detecting a platen region that includes the non-uniform density pattern and a media region. The detected edge position is used to adjust a position that a printing module prints image data onto the media sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11675287
    Abstract: A hierarchical printhead system supports multiple print modes. A first print mode uses a first subset of light sources having a first spacing. A second print mode uses a second subset of light sources having a second spacing which is less than the first spacing. Image data for lines of image data are sequentially loaded into the printhead, wherein if the specified print mode is the first print mode, image data for a first group of light sources corresponding to the first subset are loaded, and if the specified print mode is the second print mode, image data for the first group of light sources are first loaded, and then image data for a second group of light sources corresponding to the light sources in the second subset that are not in the first subset are loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11644781
    Abstract: A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. Image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine a cross-track image profile for each page in the block of pages. Image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined, wherein the compensation image has a cross-track image profile which has an inverted shape relative to an average of the cross-track image profiles for the block of pages. The printing of the compensation images reduces image burn-in artifacts which result from the printing of the block of pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11633948
    Abstract: Lithographic printing plates are provided by imagewise exposing negative-working lithographic printing plate precursors having one or more radiation-sensitive imageable layers, followed by contacting with a processing solution that contains up to 10 weight % of one or more compounds represented by Structure (I) shown as follows: R1—C(?O)—N(R2)—R3?? (I) wherein R1, R2, and R3 independently represent hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group, or two or three of R1, R2, and R3 are combined to form one or more cyclic rings, and the total number of carbon atoms in the Structure (I) molecule is at least 7 and up to and including 33. Both negative-working and positive-working lithographic precursors can be imaged and processed using this processing solution using one or more successive applications of the same or different processing solution. The processing solution can be derived from a corresponding processing solution concentrate that can also be used for replenishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Saija Werner, Stefanie Hansmann, Udo Dwars, Christopher D. Simpson
  • Patent number: 11602939
    Abstract: A printing system for printing on sheets of media having a non-uniform thickness profile. A user interface is controlled to instruct the operator to load a media tray with a stack of media having a specified pattern of media orientations. A media transport system picks sequential sheets of media from the media tray. A front end supplies sequential image data having orientations in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations. A printing module sequentially prints the supplied image data on the sheets of media in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas L. Schwartz, David Cavalieri, Horia Neamtu
  • Patent number: 11555129
    Abstract: An ink set has two or more aqueous pigment-based inks, each of which has 75-95 weight %, a) one or more pigment colorants, and b) one or more water-miscible humectants that are present in a total amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 20 weight %, and consist essentially of compounds, each of which has a carbon atom to oxygen atom ratio of at least 1.0:1.0 and only two hydroxy groups. The weight % amounts of water and the b) water-miscible humectants are based on the total weight of each aqueous pigment-based ink. The aqueous pigment-based inks in the ink set can be used individual or in combination to provide monochrome or polychrome inkjet-printed images on various ink-receptive media and using various inkjet printing equipment and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Allan Francis Sowinski, Barbara Boland Lussier, Todd Russell Griffin, David D. Putnam, Douglas Eugene Bugner
  • Patent number: 11549213
    Abstract: Laminated light-blocking decorative articles are prepared by applying an aqueous foamed opacifying composition to a non-woven fabric, drying, laminating a decorative fabric to the resulting dry foamed opacifying layer, and densifying that layer to have a thickness that is at least 20% less than before densifying. This operation can be carried out so that non-woven fabric, decorative fabric, and aqueous foamed opacifying composition are supplied in a single-pass, in-line operation to make any desired quantity of a laminated light-blocking decorative article. The applied aqueous foamed opacifying composition has 35%-70% solids and a foam density of 0.1-0.5 g/cm3. It is composed of (a) porous particles, (b) a binder material, (c) two or more additives comprising at least one foaming surfactant and at least one foam stabilizer, (d) an aqueous medium, and (e) at least 0.0001 weight % of an opacifying colorant that absorbs electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380-800 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Mridula Nair, Diane Marie Herrick
  • Patent number: 11535935
    Abstract: A thin film deposition system includes a vacuum-preloaded gas bearing deposition head positioned in an external environment having an ambient pressure, the deposition head having an output face including a plurality of source openings through which gaseous materials are supplied and one or more exhaust openings. An exhaust pressure at the exhaust openings is less than ambient pressure, and a source pressure at the source openings is greater than that at the exhaust openings, with the pressure at the outermost source openings being greater than ambient pressure. A motion control system moves a substrate unit over the output face in the in-track direction without constraining its motion in a direction normal to the output face to a point where a center of gravity of the substrate unit is beyond the first edge of the output face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Todd Mathew Spath, Carolyn Rae Ellinger
  • Patent number: 11494599
    Abstract: A method for correcting tone-level non-uniformities in a digital printing system includes printing a test target having a set of uniform test patches. The printed test target is automatically analyzed to determine tone-level errors as a function of cross-track position for each of the test patches. A tone-level correction function is determined and represented using a set of one-dimensional feature vectors which specifies tone-level corrections as a function of cross-track position, pixel value and time. Corrected image data is determined by using the tone-level correction function to determine a tone-level correction value for each image pixel responsive to the input pixel value, cross-track position and time. The corrected image data is printed using the digital printing system to provide a printed image with reduced tone-level errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11470220
    Abstract: A method for reducing image burn-in artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system, includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages to be printed. The pages are analyzed to determine that the image data for a sequence of pages in the print job are similar. The similar pages are printed using a pattern of lateral translations wherein the image data is laterally translated such that it is printed at a different lateral position on the printed page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas L. Schwartz, Horia Neamtu, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11470221
    Abstract: A method for reducing image burn-in artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system, includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages to be printed. The pages are analyzed to determine that the image data for a sequence of pages in the print job are similar. The similar pages are printed using a pattern of page orientations including a first page orientation and a second page orientation, wherein the image data for the second page orientation is rotated 180 degrees relative to the image data for the first page orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas L. Schwartz, Horia Neamtu, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11401434
    Abstract: A flexible inkjet-printed article is prepared by: A?) providing an ink receptive medium having a substrate and an aqueous-based ink-receptive layer. This layer has: (a) a water-soluble salt of a multivalent metal cation; (b) one or both of a polyvinyl alcohol and a polyvinyl amine (or a copolymer derived from a vinyl alcohol and a vinyl amine) at 0.5-30 weight %; and optionally, (c) a crosslinking agent and (d) silica particles. At least one aqueous pigment-based ink is deposited directly on the aqueous-based ink-receptive layer, each having: a) an anionically-stabilized pigment colorant; and b) a water-miscible humectant at 1-20 weight %, each having a carbon to oxygen atom ratio of ?1.0:1.0 and only two hydroxy groups. After drying, a functional layer with adhesive composition is formed on the inkjet-printed image and a flexible material is laminated to the functional layer, to form a flexible inkjet printed article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Eastman kodak company
    Inventors: David D. Putnam, Mark Edward Irving, Douglas Eugene Bugner, Todd Russell Griffin, Barbara Boland Lussier, Allan Francis Sowinski
  • Patent number: 11404589
    Abstract: An electrode film includes a first electrode pattern having a first set of parallel conductive electrodes and a second electrode pattern having a second set of parallel conductive electrodes disposed on a surface of a transparent film. The conductive electrodes in the first and second electrode patterns are conductive mesh patterns including a pattern of open areas and are arranged in an interlaced pattern. The first and second electrode patterns are configured to be connected to respective sources of electrical power supplying respective waveforms to generate a time-varying electric field pattern above a surface of the electrode film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Todd Mathew Spath, Christopher B. Liston, Douglas Edward Garman
  • Patent number: 11377567
    Abstract: An aqueous functional composition formulation is used to provide a functional composition in foamed, opacifying elements useful as a light-blocking articles. The aqueous functional composition formulation comprises: (i) glass particles such as hollow glass particles at a coverage of 0.1-2.2 g/cm2 and a (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder that may be crosslinked. Thickeners, coating aids having an HLB of at least 5, (ii) lubricants, (iii) tinting materials, and (v) crosslinking agents can also be present in the aqueous functional composition formulation. Among other properties, the presence of the glass particles provides heat absorption capacity for the foamed, opacifying elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Mridula Nair, Stephen Swanton
  • Patent number: 11370924
    Abstract: An aqueous functional composition formulation is used to provide a top layer or pattern in light-blocking opacifying elements. This functional composition formulation has 0.5-15% solids and the essential (i) and (iv) components and any optional (ii), (v), (vi), and (vii) components. The essential components are (i) fumed silica particles at 0.5-10 weight %; and a (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder having a glass transition temperature (Tg) below 25° C. The weight ratio of the (i) fumed silica particles to the (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder is 10:1 to 1:5. The optional components include: a (ii) solid or non-solid lubricant; a (v) crosslinking agent; a (vi) thickener; and a (vii) coating aid. Glass particles can also be present. The presence of the (i) fumed silica provides improved brightness, e.g. an L* value of at least 80, and uniform coatings in the opacifying element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Mridula Nair, Ellen M. Pyszczek, Stephen Swanton
  • Patent number: 11352700
    Abstract: Electrically-conductive silver metal is provided in a pattern on a substrate having a first supporting side and a second opposing supporting side. One or both of the first supporting side and the second opposing supporting side has one or more electrically-conductive silver metal containing patterns containing the electrically-conductive silver metal; an ?-oxy carboxylate; a 5- or 6-membered N-heteroaromatic compound; and a polymer that is either (i) a hydroxy-containing cellulosic polymer or (ii) a non-cellulosic acrylic polymer having a halo- or hydroxy-containing side chain. Such articles can be used in various devices and electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Deepak Shukla, Kevin M. Donovan, Dianne Marie Meyer
  • Patent number: 11279842
    Abstract: Aqueous particle-free fluids can be used in inkjet printing methods including continuous inkjet printing processes. Each of these fluids has a dynamic viscosity of less than or equal to 5 centipoise (5 mPa-sec) at 25° C., and each consists essentially of: a composition consisting of one or more compounds represented by the following Structure (I): HO—CH2—CH2—R?? (I) wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy group, in a total amount of at least 0.5 weight % and up to and including 2 weight %, based on the total weight of the aqueous inkjet ink composition. Such aqueous particle-free fluids can be used as replenishment or printhead maintenance fluids. Two or more of such aqueous particle-free fluids can be packaged, sold, and use as part of fluid sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Wayne Lee Cook, Allan Francis Sowinski
  • Patent number: 11275203
    Abstract: An opacifying article can be made using a (i) fabric having a face side and a back side and an (ii) opacifying element having a substrate that has first and second opposing surfaces; and a dry opacifying layer that has an inner surface and an outer surface. The dry opacifying layer is disposed with its inner surface in contact with the first opposing surface of the substrate. The dry opacifying layer has (a) 40-90 weight % of porous particles, each having a continuous polymeric phase and discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymeric phase. The porous particles have a mode particle size of 2-50 ?m and a porosity of 20-70 volume %. The dry opacifying layer also contains (b) 10-60 weight % of a binder material. The (ii) opacifying element is laminated to the back side of the fabric to provide the opacifying article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Mridula Nair, Mary Christine Brick
  • Patent number: 11248134
    Abstract: Aqueous inkjet ink compositions are useful in inkjet printing processes and can be used individually or as part of an inkjet ink set. Each aqueous inkjet ink composition has a dynamic viscosity of 5 centipoise (5 mPa-sec) or less at 25° C., and consists essentially of: (a) a polymer-dispersed pigment colorant at 0.9-6 weight %; (b) a composition consisting of compounds represented by the following Structure (I): HO—CH2—CH2—R?? (I) wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy group, at 0.5-2 weight %; (c) a water-soluble humectant, co-solvent, or both, at than or equal to 20 weight %. Each polymer-dispersed pigment colorant has a 50th percentile particle diameter of less than 70 nm and a 95th percentile particle diameter of less than 150 nm, as measured using a dynamic light scattering particle size analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Allan Francis Sowinski, Douglas Eugene Bugner, Wayne Lee Cook