Patents Examined by Lam S Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11919304
    Abstract: A drive-waveform determination method determines a waveform of a first drive pulse to be applied to a drive element included in a first liquid discharging head that discharges liquid. The drive-waveform determination method includes: a first step of obtaining second waveform information regarding a waveform of a second drive pulse to be applied to a drive element included in a second liquid discharging head that discharges liquid; and a second step of determining the waveform of the first drive pulse, based on the second waveform information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Toyofuku, Toshiro Murayama, Takahiro Katakura
  • Patent number: 11919298
    Abstract: A driving circuit includes an amplification circuit configured to output an amplified modulation signal and a level shift circuit. The level shift circuit includes a second gate driver that outputs a third gate signal and a fourth gate signal, a third transistor that operates based on the third gate signal, and a fourth transistor that operates based on the fourth gate signal. The second gate driver outputs the third gate signal for controlling the third transistor to be conductive and the fourth gate signal for controlling the fourth transistor to be nonconductive in a second period in which a driving signal is fixed in a second potential that is higher than a first potential and lower than a third potential and the fourth gate signal for controlling the fourth transistor to be nonconductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata
  • Patent number: 11919297
    Abstract: A driving circuit includes an amplification circuit that outputs an amplified modulation signal and a level shift circuit. In the level shift circuit, when a reference potential of the amplified modulation signal is shifted to a second potential from a first potential, a second gate driver outputs a third gate signal for controlling a third transistor to be nonconductive and a fourth gate signal for controlling a fourth transistor to be conductive, then outputs the third gate signal for controlling the third transistor to be conductive and the fourth gate signal for controlling the fourth transistor to be nonconductive, and thereafter outputs the third gate signal for controlling the third transistor to be nonconductive and the fourth gate signal for controlling the fourth transistor to be conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata
  • Patent number: 11904609
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a pressure chamber in which ink is stored, a nozzle plate including a nozzle which connects with the pressure chamber, an actuator configured to change a volume of the pressure chamber, and a drive circuit. The drive circuit, before a printing is performed, outputs, to the actuator for a first time period, a first signal for changing the volume of the pressure chamber without ejecting ink from the nozzle. A second signal for changing the volume of the pressure chamber is then output to the actuator for a second time period such that ink is ejected from the nozzle. A third signal for changing the volume of the pressure chamber to the extent that the ink is not ejected from the nozzle is then output to the actuator for a third time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaya Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11906335
    Abstract: A measuring system includes: a lumen forming a flow path and a flow obstruction arranged in the flow path for effecting a disturbance in a flowing fluid; a sensor arrangement adapted to produce a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal; and transmitter electronics. The transmitter electronics are adapted to receive both the first and second sensor signals and to convert such into first and second sensor signal sampling sequences approximating the first and second sensor signals, respectively, the transmitter electronics further adapted using a digital adaptive filter to ascertain from the first sampling sequence a filter coefficients set and therewith to form a z-transfer function for filtering the second sampling sequence such that the z-transfer function is determined by the filter coefficients set, the signal filter and the second sampling sequence to produce a wanted signal sequence, to produce therefrom digital measured values representing a measurement variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventor: Michael Kirst
  • Patent number: 11904607
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit, a level shift circuit; and a demodulation circuit, in which in a second mode obtained by shifting a reference potential of the amplification modulation signal to a second potential having a potential higher than a first potential, the second gate driver included in the level shift circuit performs a constant voltage control that outputs a third gate signal controlling a third transistor to be conductive and a fourth gate signal controlling a fourth transistor to be non-conductive, and a charge control that outputs the third gate signal controlling the third transistor to be non-conductive and the fourth gate signal controlling the fourth transistor to be conductive, and then outputs the third gate signal controlling the third transistor to be conductive and the fourth gate signal controlling the fourth transistor to be non-conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shoichiro Yokoo, Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata
  • Patent number: 11904606
    Abstract: A level shift circuit and when a reference potential of the amplification modulation signal is transitioned from a first potential to a second potential having a high potential, a second gate driver performs a first control that outputs a third gate signal controlling a third transistor to be non-conductive and a fourth gate signal controlling a fourth transistor to be conductive, and then outputs the third gate signal controlling the third transistor to be conductive and the fourth gate signal controlling the fourth transistor to be non-conductive, and a second control that outputs the third gate signal controlling the third transistor to be non-conductive and the fourth gate signal controlling the fourth transistor to be conductive after the first control, and then outputs the third gate signal controlling the third transistor to be conductive and the fourth gate signal controlling the fourth transistor to be non-conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata, Shoichiro Yokoo
  • Patent number: 11904617
    Abstract: A commodity-data processing apparatus includes a housing, a printer unit mounted in the housing and movable between a housed position at which the printer unit fits in a printer housing space and a drawn-out position, and a controller. The printer unit includes a cover that is movable between a closed position and an open position when the printer unit is at the drawn-out position and not movable between the closed position and the open position when the printer unit is at the housed position. The controller is configured to determine whether the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, determine whether or not the printer unit is ready for printing, upon determining that the cover is moved from the open position to the closed position, and enable receipt printing by the printing unit, upon determining that the printer unit is ready for printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Gotanda, Jun Kikuchi, Akiko Susaki, Jun Yoshitomi, Shun Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11904605
    Abstract: There is provided a head unit including: a substrate on which a first driving circuit is disposed; a heat sink fixed to the substrate; and heat conductive elastic bodies positioned between the substrate and the heat sink, in which the first driving circuit includes a first integrated circuit, a first amplifier circuit including a first transistor, and a first smoothing circuit that outputs the first driving signal, in which a first heat conductive elastic body is in contact with the heat sink and the first integrated circuit, a second heat conductive elastic body is in contact with the heat sink and the first transistor, and the first heat conductive elastic body and the second heat conductive elastic body are in a form of a gel having flame retardancy and electric insulation property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Yamamichi, Yusuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11897260
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head, and a drive signal output unit that outputs a drive signal. The head unit includes a first rigid substrate, and a first connector to which the drive signal is input, the drive signal output unit includes a second rigid substrate, and a second connector from which the drive signal is output, the first connector includes a first fixing portion fixed to the first rigid substrate, and a first terminal, the second connector includes a second fixing portion fixed to the second rigid substrate, and a second terminal, the first connector has a receptacle shape, the second connector has a plug shape, and the first rigid substrate and the second rigid substrate are electrically coupled by fitting the first connector and the second connector so that the first terminal and the second terminal are in direct contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Yusuke Matsumoto, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11893328
    Abstract: This application relates to apparatus and methods for generating, and executing, surrogate models. In some examples, a computing device generates and evaluates correlations between input and output variables for a system to identify highly correlated input and output parameters. In addition, weights for one or more of the parameters may be determined. The computing device identifies a mathematical relationship between input and output variables to generate a physics model. The computing device may also identify other features not captured by the physical relationship that are highly correlated to each other, and generates a feature model that is based on the highly correlated features. The computing device may optimize the feature model based on a culling process that reduces the computational resources required to execute the feature model. The physics model is then combined with the feature model to generate a system output model that can simulate the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: PREDICTIVEIQ LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Augusto Betts, Matthew Tilghman, Juan Fernando Betts
  • Patent number: 11887174
    Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing lower body movement in low stress and loaded states and selecting footwear are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a plurality of markers and/or sensors and a controller. The markers or sensors can be used to detect lower body movement of a human subject, including inward and outward knee motion and tibia rotation. The controller can be configured to record lower body movement of the human subject in an unloaded state and a loaded state. The controller can further be configured to determine a trend corresponding to a change in the lower body movement from the unloaded state to the loaded state. Based on this trend, the system can select footwear characteristics that counteract any trend away from the lower body movement in the unloaded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Brooks Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Rohr, Pete Humphrey, Carson Caprara, Andre Kriwet
  • Patent number: 11885703
    Abstract: The systems and methods described herein are for monitoring the tightness of bolts. The systems and methods may be used with a mechanism to apply a percussive tap and with a recording or monitoring device for detecting and recording the acoustic signals that are generated by the percussive tap. The acoustic signals generated by percussive taps applied to bolts in various looseness states are analyzed and a machine learning model is developed that allows for determining bolt looseness based on the acoustic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
    Inventors: Gangbing Song, Qingzhao Kong, Siu Chun Michael Ho, Furui Wang
  • Patent number: 11879065
    Abstract: The actinic radiation curable inkjet ink of the present invention includes an actinic radiation polymerizable compound, a crystalline polyester resin, and a gelling agent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic ester-based wax, aliphatic ketone-based wax, paraffin wax and microcrystalline wax. The image forming method of the present invention includes ejecting the actinic radiation curable inkjet ink heated to 40 to 120° C. through an inkjet head to land the actinic radiation curable inkjet ink ejected, onto a surface of a recording medium or an intermediate transfer member whose surface temperature is 60° C. or less, and irradiating the actinic radiation curable inkjet ink landed with actinic radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kouji Izawa, Yasuaki Tsuji
  • Patent number: 11858265
    Abstract: An integrated circuit to drive a plurality of fluid actuation devices includes a plurality of first non-volatile memory cells and control logic. Each first non-volatile memory cell stores a customization bit. The control logic configures an operation of the integrated circuit based on the customization bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott A. Linn, James Michael Gardner, Erik D. Ness
  • Patent number: 11862300
    Abstract: Chemical formulations for chemical products can be represented by digital formulation graphs for use in machine learning models. The digital formulation graphs can be input to graph-based algorithms such as graph neural networks to produce a feature vector, which is a denser description of the chemical product than the digital formulation graph. The feature vector can be input to a supervised machine learning model to predict one or more attribute values of the chemical product that would be produced by the formulation without actually having to go through the production process. The feature vector can be input to an unsupervised machine learning model trained to compare chemical products based on feature vectors of the chemical products. The unsupervised machine learning model can recommend a substitute chemical product based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Alix Schmidt, Ian Clark
  • Patent number: 11850845
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for creating a print profile to control the operation of a direct-to-shape printing system for applying images on the exterior of an axially symmetrical media object that has a contoured, varying exterior surface, such as occurs on curved wine bottles and sports equipment like bats. The process takes a media recipe holding media geometry information and an image intended to be printed and processes that information to control a motion control subsystem and a print engine subsystem. The geometry information is manipulated to generate a CAM table suitable for the motion control subsystem, and the image file is processed to create a raster image file suitable for ink head expression. Various setup values are included in the process to prepare the direct-to-shape printing system for use of the media recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: LSINC Corporation
    Inventors: James Richard Bullington, Christopher Shea Curry, Ralph Andrew Bedingfield
  • Patent number: 11854672
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a new chemical structure using a chemical structure generation model are provided. The method includes receiving a first descriptor of a first chemical structure, encoding the first descriptor into a latent variable using an encoder of the chemical structure generation model, generating a second descriptor by decoding the latent variable using a decoder of the chemical structure generation model, generating the second chemical structure corresponding to the second descriptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., RESEARCH & BUSINESS FOUNDATION SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Youngchun Kwon, Seokho Kang, Won-joon Son, Dongseon Lee, Younsuk Choi
  • Patent number: 11845269
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing head including a first nozzle configured to discharge a first ink and a second nozzle configured to discharge a second ink having a higher brightness than the first ink, and a control unit configured to control the printing head to print, on a printing medium, a test pattern for inspecting a state of ink discharge by the first nozzle and the second nozzle. The test pattern includes a first pattern element formed by a plurality of dots of the first ink and a second pattern element formed by a plurality of dots of the second ink. The control unit causes the printing head to print the test pattern where a number of the dots of the second ink forming the second pattern element is greater than a number of the dots of the first ink forming the first pattern element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichi Ohara
  • Patent number: 11845272
    Abstract: A liquid jet head and so on capable of enhancing the convenience while improving the performance are provided. The liquid jet head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a jet section configured to jet liquid, at least one drive device which applies a drive signal having a predetermined drive waveform to the jet section to thereby cause the jet section to jet the liquid, and a waveform setting section configured to generate regular waveform configuration information for setting the drive waveform based on simplified waveform configuration information supplied from an outside of the liquid jet head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SII PRINTEK INC.
    Inventor: Kensuke Yoshida