Patents Examined by Julian Huffman
  • Patent number: 9927462
    Abstract: An electrical device testing fixture is disclosed. The electrical device testing fixture includes a stationary base, an electrode holder, a negative electrode and a positive electrode, a stopper holder, and a stopper; the stationary base is provided with two through wire mounting holes in which wires are routed; the electrode holder is provided with two separate long slots; the two electrodes are fixed in the two long slots respectively and movable in the slots respectively; an electrical device is connected between the two electrodes; a restoring spring is provided between the stopper and the stopper holder; and the stopper is configured to fix the electrical device. The electrical device testing fixture can address the high cost problem due to the requirement of different testing fixtures corresponding to different models of electrical devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BOE OPTICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kejun Shen
  • Patent number: 9925772
    Abstract: A method for controlling an inkjet printing apparatus performing printing to an elongated printing medium 11, the method having a discharging step of performing continuous application to a piezoelectric element 23 of a nozzle to be used with a pulse number of two or more waves per one printing element to deform the piezoelectric element and thereby discharge ink in an ink chamber 22 from an opening portion 21, and a vibrating step of performing application of the piezoelectric elements 23 to all the nozzles with a pulse number of one wave per one printing element to deform the piezoelectric elements, thereby imparting only vibrations to the inks in the ink chambers 22 without discharging the inks, where the discharging step and the vibrating step are performed alternately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: MIYAKOSHI PRINTING MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Izawa, Yasushi Katagiri, Seiji Komatsuda
  • Patent number: 9925807
    Abstract: There is provided a conveyance system including a plurality of rollers, a plurality of motors, a plurality of measuring devices, and a controller. The controller is configured to carry out the processes of: determining a control input on each of the plurality of motors, inputting a drive signal according to the control input, calculating an estimated reaction force value for each of the rollers, calculating an estimated tension value for each pair of the adjacent rollers, calculating a tension control input for each pair, and calculating a state control input on a particular one of the rollers. The controller determines the control input on each of the plurality of motors based on the tension control input for each pair and the state control input on the particular roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Iesaki
  • Patent number: 9919543
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a cleaning section that includes a cleaning material for cleaning a transportation belt, which transports a recording target medium, by contact with the transportation belt. The cleaning section is capable of switching between a contact state, in which the cleaning material is in contact with the transportation belt, and a non-contact state, in which the cleaning material is not in contact with the transportation belt. The cleaning section is capable of performing renewal operation. The renewal operation is operation of renewing a contact region of the cleaning material, that is, a region of contact with the transportation belt, from a region that has already been used to a region that has not been used yet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Mori
  • Patent number: 9919516
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid ejecting head including: a plurality of actuator units, each including a connection terminal row; an interconnection substrate which is disposed to face the plurality of actuator units, is electrically connected to the connection terminal row of each of the plurality of actuator units, and extends in a second direction intersecting a first direction that is a transporting direction of a recording sheet; an external connection terminal row which is provided to the interconnection substrate; and a plurality of liquid flow passages which supply a liquid to each of the plurality of actuator units. The plurality of liquid flow passages are arranged on an outer side of the interconnection substrate in the first direction, and the external connection terminal row is arranged between the plurality of liquid flow passages in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 9915551
    Abstract: A method for linearizing sensor signals in a magnetic strip length measuring system moves a sensor head between two magnetic poles of a measurement body. In particular, linearization takes place dynamically during operation of the magnetic strip length measuring system, and linearization deviations are compensated by extrapolation as the sensor head moves between the two poles of the measurement body from pole to pole or from pole pair to pole pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Burkhardt, Achim Zern, Timm Eversmeyer
  • Patent number: 9914313
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing portion for printing on a medium, a driving roller for transporting the medium, a first and a second driven roller which are respectively supported with a gap in one roller shaft in a shaft line direction of the roller shaft and rotate around the roller shaft while pressing the transported medium on the driving roller, and a shaft support member that has a shaft support portion which supports the roller shaft between the first driven roller and the second driven roller. The first and the second driven roller have a through hole into which the roller shaft is inserted and an inner diameter in a roller center portion is smaller than an inner diameter of a roller end portion in the shaft line direction. The roller shaft is supported so as to be swingable with the shaft support portion as a support point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Aoki, Yoshitsugu Tokai
  • Patent number: 9908354
    Abstract: In accordance with an embedment, a printer comprises a sensor configured to detect a position of a paper conveyed in a conveyance path; a first setting module configured to set a plurality of start candidate positions which are candidates of a printing start position in a paper conveyance direction based on a sensing result of the sensor; a test printing module configured to carry out a test printing for specifying the start candidate position on the paper for each start candidate position set by the first setting module; a reception module configured to receive selection of one start candidate position from the start candidate positions specified by the test printing; and a second setting module configured to set the start candidate position received by the reception module as the printing start position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Okiharu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9908353
    Abstract: A print assisting device detects, from information on a captured image including a first reference marker for a manual scanning type printing device and a second reference marker of a print medium on which the printing device is placed, information on the first and the second reference marker, and creates, as information on an assisting image, based on the information on the first and second reference markers and information on a contents to be printed by the printing device, at least any one of information on a first image of the contents that is printed in a case where the printing device is scanned from a current position, information on a second image of the contents that is printed in a case where the printing device is scanned from a printing start position which is designated, and information on a third image to guide a position of the printing device to the printing start position, and causes a display device to display the assisting image superimposed on the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shota Nakahara
  • Patent number: 9902165
    Abstract: In an ink supply system, a main ink tank and an ink head are connected together via a main supply channel. A sub-ink tank is connected to the main supply channel via a sub-supply channel. An upstream-side valve is provided on an upstream-side portion of the main supply channel. During standby, a first standby setting processor of a controller sets a first standby state in which a first upstream-side valve is open, and a second standby setting processor sets a second standby state in which the first upstream-side valve is closed. A standby state determination processor determines whether or not the amount of time elapsed from when a setting operation was done by the first standby setting processor or the second standby setting processor is greater than or equal to a first amount of time. The standby state switching processor switches between the first standby state and the second standby state when it is determined that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the first amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadashi Kawashima, Yasuhiko Kobayashi, Takefumi Endo, Yusuke Takano, Teppei Sawada
  • Patent number: 9895883
    Abstract: A drive waveform generation device includes a generation unit that generates a drive waveform having, as each cycle, a first waveform for droplet ejection or a second waveform for vibrating a liquid meniscus by selecting from a first period having a first potential that is lower than a reference potential, a second period following the first period continuously and having a second potential that is higher than or equal to the reference potential, a third period following the second period continuously and having a third potential that is higher than the first potential and lower than the second potential, and a fourth period following the third period continuously and having a fourth potential that is higher than the first potential and lower than the third potential, the first period, the second period, the third period and the fourth period being included in a fundamental waveform as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Seto, Takashi Yagi
  • Patent number: 9899539
    Abstract: An EPROM cell includes a semiconductor substrate, having source and drain regions, a floating gate, including a semiconductive polysilicon layer electrically interconnected with a first metal layer, and a control gate, including a second metal layer. The floating gate is disposed adjacent to the source and drain regions and separated from the semiconductor substrate by a first dielectric layer, and the second metal layer of the control gate is capacitively coupled to the first metal layer with a second dielectric layer therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Trudy Benjamin
  • Patent number: 9895890
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that can correct bending of an ink jet head with a compact structure. First supporting frames 122 that support ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K and second supporting frames 170 that support a part of ink supply sections supplying ink to the ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K are mounted on a mount 300. The first supporting frames 122 are mounted on the mount 300 while both end portions of the first supporting frames 122 in a longitudinal direction are supported. Each of the second supporting frames 170 is provided with a bending correction mechanism 340 that applies a pressing force to the first supporting frame 122 to correct the bending of the first supporting frame 122.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko Koga, Tsutomu Kusakari
  • Patent number: 9897645
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for an illuminator and related methods to be used with a wafer prober to provide illumination (e.g., visible and/or non-visible electromagnetic radiation) to perform testing, calibration, and/or inspection of devices on a wafer. For example, an illuminator may include a plurality of radiation sources, a reflector, an actuator for the reflector, a shutter, an actuator for the shutter, and/or a light pipe. Various components of the illuminator may interface with a wafer prober to provide sufficiently uniform and stable illumination with fast-switching intensities, wavelengths, and/or other properties. Such illumination provided by various embodiments of the illuminator may permit the wafer prober to perform high-throughput testing, calibration, and/or inspection of devices that may be fabricated and/or packaged on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore R. Hoelter, Austin A. Richards, Eric A. Kurth
  • Patent number: 9889666
    Abstract: After the control section of a printer (liquid discharge apparatus) discharges ink on the basis of a print job, the control section waits for an input of the next print job while causing the discharge section to perform flushing. If the next print job is input before the elapsed time Te from the end of the ink discharge on the basis of the print job exceeds the waiting time Tw, the control section causes ink to be discharged on the basis of the next print job. On the other hand, if the next print job is not input before the elapsed time Te exceeds the waiting time Tw, the control section causes the cap to be subjected to capping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Abe, Takao Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9884498
    Abstract: A tape printing device includes a cartridge loading section where a tape cartridge having a platen roller and a portion to be guided is loaded in an unloadable manner; two recess portions in which fingers for gripping the tape cartridge are inserted; a platen support shaft inserted in the platen roller; and a guide pin inserted in the portion to be guided. The guide pin is situated on a side opposite to the platen support shaft across an imaginary line connecting the two recess portions and is arranged at a site where a distance from the recess portion at a position farther from the first insertion shaft, of the two recess portions, is shorter than a distance from the recess portion at a position closer to the platen support shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Sakano, Shinsaku Kosuge
  • Patent number: 9878565
    Abstract: A cooling control system and method comprise a power meter for measuring a power of a laser, a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature of fluid circulating through a cooling block, and a chip connected to the cooling block wherein the temperature controller regulates said temperature of the coolant in order to prevent the chip from overheating or from developing condensation on the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul J. McConville, Jason M. Lefevre, Steven R. Moore, Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 9878559
    Abstract: A thermal transfer flat bed printer that is configured for printing on flat objects includes a removable cylinder print module that is installed between a print head and the flat bed. The cylinder print module includes an alignment mechanism that engages with an alignment subsystem that moves with the print head and is separated from the print head by a predetermined distance. The engagement between the alignment mechanism and the alignment subsystem positions the module relative to the print head such that a cylindrical object supported by the module is in precise alignment with the print head, to within the tight tolerances associated with cylinder printing. The cylinder print module, which rests on but does not attach to the printer flat bed, includes rollers that are arranged to both support the cylindrical object and control the rotation of the cylindrical object, to maintain the cylindrical object in precise alignment with the print head during a cylinder print operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Impress Systems
    Inventors: Stephen L. Aroneo, Oleksandr Ryzhenko
  • Patent number: 9873246
    Abstract: When a processor of a print device determines that an elapsed time since a circulation operation of a liquid is not less than a fixed time and does not determine that the elapsed time is not less than a first time, the processor performs a first circulation operation that circulates the liquid in a state in which a supply flow path and a circulation flow path are not open to the atmosphere. When the processor determines that the elapsed time is not less than the fixed time, is not less than the first time, and is less than a second time, the processor performs a second circulation operation that agitates the liquid more than the first circulation operation does. Therefore, the print device is able to agitate the liquid in accordance with the time that has elapsed since the circulation operation was last performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshinori Kato
  • Patent number: 9873275
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to, each time an unpaired first pattern element formed on a recording medium is conveyed over a particular distance in a conveyance direction in response to a conveyor rotating by a first amount, control an image former to form a second pattern element to be paired with the unpaired first pattern element thereby forming a first test pattern, and each time an unpaired third pattern element formed on the recording medium is conveyed over a specific distance in the conveyance direction in response to the conveyor rotating by a second amount, control the image former to form a fourth pattern element to be paired with the unpaired third pattern element thereby forming a second test pattern. At least one of the first and second amounts is a non-integer multiple of a rotation amount of the conveyor that makes a single rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Kohei Terada