Patents by Inventor B. Mark Hirst

B. Mark Hirst has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8664922
    Abstract: A snubber circuit comprises a first energy storage device and circuitry coupled to the first energy storage device to facilitate capturing, by the first energy storage device, energy of a switching circuit. The snubber circuit also comprises a second energy storage device coupled to the first energy storage device to store the captured energy. The circuitry additionally facilitates resetting of the first energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Publication number: 20130083338
    Abstract: A printing system includes a processor to execute a main control program for the printing system, and at least one memory device to store computer code to be executed by the processor. The printing system further includes a network device to receive network print jobs, and a wake circuit to cause the printing system to enter a deep suspend mode in which the printing system consumes less than about 1W of power, and to cause the printing system to wake from the deep suspend mode in response to a set of wake events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Mark A. Fahrenkrug, B. Mark Hirst, Vincent Skurdal, Kevin John Sigl
  • Publication number: 20120280674
    Abstract: A snubber circuit comprises a first energy storage device and circuitry coupled to the first energy storage device to facilitate capturing, by the first energy storage device, energy of a switching circuit. The snubber circuit also comprises a second energy storage device coupled to the first energy storage device to store the captured energy. The circuitry additionally facilitates resetting of the first energy storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 8253394
    Abstract: A snubber circuit comprises a first energy storage device and circuitry coupled to the first energy storage device to facilitate capturing, by the first energy storage device, energy of a switching circuit. The snubber circuit also comprises a second energy storage device coupled to the first energy storage device to store the captured energy. The circuitry additionally facilitates resetting of the first energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 7541692
    Abstract: Peripheral devices that have their own power sources. In one embodiment, a peripheral device comprises a processing device, memory, and a power circuit configured to supply power to a peripheral device component, the power circuit including a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Tony Barrett
  • Patent number: 7187398
    Abstract: A method for refining a length of a scan line, where the scan line is produced from a facet of a scanning device. The method includes the steps of: (a) acquiring a plurality of scan line lengths produced from the facet, (b) determining from the plurality of scan line lengths, an average scan line length for the facet, and (c) determining from the average scan line length, a scan line length correction for the facet. A method for measuring a length of a scan line includes the steps of: (a) charging an electrical current integrator to a voltage while a scan line is produced from a facet, (b) measuring the voltage, and (c) determining from the voltage, the length of the scan line produced from the facet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gerard J. Carlson, B. Mark Hirst, Mark Wibbels
  • Patent number: 7180534
    Abstract: Scanning assemblies, printing devices, and related methods are described. In one embodiment, pole pieces are configured to be coupled with an input voltage source that can produce phase-shifted input voltages, the pole pieces defining at least first and second phases. A rotor is operably associated with the pole pieces for rotation. The pole pieces and the rotor are configured as an induction drive system in which a rotational force for rotating the rotor is produced through interaction of rotor-induced eddy currents from each of the first and second phases with respective magnetic fluxes of the other of the first and second phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 6853831
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. The system includes a fuser roller, a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller, and an external heating roller. In addition, the disclosure relates to a method for heating a fuser roller of a fusing system. The method includes the steps of providing an external heating roller, contacting an outer surface of the fuser roller with the external heating roller, heating the external heating roller, and rotating the external heating roller and the fuser roller such that heat is transferred from the external heating roller to the fuser roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Kenneth E. Heath, Mark Wibbels
  • Patent number: 6847016
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for managing power in an imaging device. In one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to operating multiple heating elements in a temporally-shifted manner to create an effective drive frequency that exceeds an actual drive frequency at which the heating elements are actually driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Publication number: 20040222213
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for managing power in an imaging device. In one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to operating multiple heating elements in a temporally-shifted manner to create an effective drive frequency that exceeds an actual drive frequency at which the heating elements are actually driven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Publication number: 20040103326
    Abstract: Disclosed are peripheral devices that have their own power sources. In one embodiment, a peripheral device comprises a processing device, memory, and a power circuit configured to supply power to a peripheral device component, the power circuit including a power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Tony Barrett
  • Publication number: 20040103351
    Abstract: Redundant data storage systems and methods for imaging devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a control/memory system for an imaging device comprises at least two separate components each including its own processor and memory, and a data recovery module configured to restore data to memory within the control/memory system in the event such data are lost or corrupted. In one embodiment, a data recovery method comprises comparing data stored on various different memories of the imaging device, determining if there is an inconsistency between the data of the various different imaging device memories, determining which data are correct and which data are incorrect if there is an inconsistency, and causing the incorrect data to be replaced with the correct data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 6721530
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. The fusing system includes a fuser roller including a metal layer, a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller, and an external induction heating element. In addition, the disclosure relates to a method for heating a fuser roller of a fusing system including the steps of positioning an external induction heating element in close proximity to the outer surface of the fuser roller, delivering high frequency current to a coil of the external induction heating element to create a magnetic flux, and directing the magnetic flux toward the fuser roller so as to induce eddy currents within a metal layer of the fuser roller that generate heat within the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Mark Wibbels, Kenneth E. Heath
  • Patent number: 6710309
    Abstract: A means for determining the voltage of a power source is disclosed. A portion of the available power from the power source is applied to a heating element. By measuring a rate of change in the temperature of the heating element the input voltage can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Publication number: 20030222079
    Abstract: A system for inductively heating a belt employs a magnetic flux intensifier that serves to intensify a magnetic field through which an electrically conductive belt is driven in order to heat said belt. A workpiece such as a sheet of paper having partially dried ink (or electrophotographic toner in need of softening) can be placed in association with the belt and thereby heated in order to dry the ink (or fuse the toner).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Robert J. Lawton, Jose Alvaro Barba Villanueva, B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 6635864
    Abstract: A method for determining a scan line error for a scan line, wherein the scan line is produced from one of a plurality of facets of a rotating reflector of a scanning device. The method comprises the steps of (a) determining a difference between a time of an occurrence of a point in a scan line produced from a first facet and a time of an occurrence of a point in a scan line produced from a second facet, and (b) determining from the difference, a scan line error for the scan line produced from the first facet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 6580895
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. In one embodiment, the fusing system contains a fuser roller configured as a heat pipe including an inner tube and a coaxial outer tube that is mounted to the inner tube, the inner and outer tubes defining an interior space therebetween that is adapted to contain a liquid and to be evacuated so as be maintained in a vacuum, and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller. In another embodiment, the fusing system contains a fuser roller, a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller, and an external heating roller in contact with the fuser roller, the external heating roller being configured as a heat pipe including an inner tube and a coaxial outer tube that is mounted to the inner tube, the inner and outer tubes defining an interior space therebetween that is adapted to contain a liquid and to be evacuated so as be maintained in a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Mark Wibbels, Kenneth E. Heath
  • Publication number: 20030095423
    Abstract: The present invention provides a synchronous full-wave AC rectifier connectable to an AC voltage source. In one embodiment, the synchronous rectifier includes a full-wave diode bridge having four bridge diodes. A power switch is coupled in parallel with each bridge diode, and each power switch has a power switch control gate. A power switch control circuit is coupled in parallel with each bridge diode. Each power switch control circuit provides a first control voltage to its associated power switch control gate to cause the power switch to turn on when the parallel-connected bridge diode is forward biased. Each power switch control circuit provides a second control voltage to its associated power switch control gate to cause the power switch to turn off when the parallel-connect bridge diode is reverse biased. The power switch control circuits turn their associated power switches on and off synchronously with the AC voltage source to provide the full-wave rectified AC output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 6563726
    Abstract: The present invention provides a synchronous full-wave AC rectifier connectable to an AC voltage source. In one embodiment, the synchronous rectifier includes a full-wave diode bridge having four bridge diodes. A power switch is coupled in parallel with each bridge diode, and each power switch has a power switch control gate. A power switch control circuit is coupled in parallel with each bridge diode. Each power switch control circuit provides a first control voltage to its associated power switch control gate to cause the power switch to turn on when the parallel-connected bridge diode is forward biased. Each power switch control circuit provides a second control voltage to its associated power switch control gate to cause the power switch to turn off when the parallel-connect bridge diode is reverse biased. The power switch control circuits turn their associated power switches on and off synchronously with the AC voltage source to provide the full-wave rectified AC output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: B. Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 6512913
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. The fusing system includes a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer disposed around the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer having high thermal capacity, and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller. The present disclosure also relates to a fusing method that helps reduce gloss variation of printed media fused to a recording medium with a fusing system. The method includes the steps of forming a heat transport layer having high thermal capacity at an outer surface of a fuser roller of the fusing system, heating the heat transport layer, and transferring heat from the heat transport layer to the recording medium as it passes through a nip of the fusing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Mark Wibbels, Kenneth E. Heath