Patents by Inventor Ferran Vilanova

Ferran Vilanova 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: 7239402
    Abstract: To translate a physical color to a color space of a printer device, a color patch is scanned using a printer's internal scanner. The printer then automatically prints that scanned color, together with a range of variations of that color, on the print media on which printing is to occur. A user may quickly and easily select a color match from the range of colors printed, by visual inspection. The user enters the selected color into the printer, using for example a number or position code, or by marking the selected color on the print media, which is then re-scanned by the printer. Thus, an iterative prior art manual procedure of color modification using color data determined by spectrophotometers is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Pau Soler, Ferran Vilanova
  • Patent number: 7134737
    Abstract: Absolute perceptual values are stored in the design lab, for maximum-density-tone cutoffs—preferably a maximum yellow-blue chrominance b* for yellow and minimum luminosity L* for other colorants. Automatic field operations in each printer then force the printer to subsequently print nominal full-saturation colorants so as to match the stored values. In addition to the stored cut-offs, black-and-white reference values measured in the printer are also used in linearizing printer response, for specific combinations of printing medium and printmode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Miquel Boleda, James L. McCullough
  • Patent number: 7118188
    Abstract: In a method of printing with overlapping printhead dies, artifacts in the printed image caused by the printing nozzles in the overlapping region are removed, either by measuring the width of the band produced in the overlapping region and selecting an appropriate depletion or propletion printing mask for subsequent printing operations, or by printing out a test pattern in which areas corresponding to a range of depletion and propletion masks are printed out and the optimal mask is selected for subsequent printing operations. The dies overlap by only a few rows of nozzles. The method may be employed in fixed printhead apparatus (e.g. page wide arrays) or in a scanning printhead apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Ramon Borrell
  • Publication number: 20050073545
    Abstract: Absolute perceptual values are stored in the design lab, for maximum-density-tone cutoffs—preferably a maximum yellow-blue chrominance b* for yellow and minimum luminosity L* for other colorants. Automatic field operations in each printer then force the printer to subsequently print nominal full-saturation colorants so as to match the stored values. In addition to the stored cut-offs, black-and-white reference values measured in the printer are also used in linearizing printer response, for specific combinations of printing medium and printmode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Miquel Boleda, James McCullough
  • Publication number: 20040252152
    Abstract: In a method of printing with overlapping printhead dies, artifacts in the printed image caused by the printing nozzles in the overlapping region are removed, either by measuring the width of the band produced in the overlapping region and selecting an appropriate depletion or propletion printing mask for subsequent printing operations, or by printing out a test pattern in which areas corresponding to a range of depletion and propletion masks are printed out and the optimal mask is selected for subsequent printing operations. The dies overlap by only a few rows of nozzles. The method may be employed in fixed printhead apparatus (e.g. page wide arrays) or in a scanning printhead apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Ramon Borrell
  • Publication number: 20040165024
    Abstract: For a preferred incremental printing system (e. g. a remote-proofing printer system) and method, statistical methods of presetting calibration-acceptability criteria are used in the lab design phase, to objectively link acceptance of color calibration with printer performance—relative to design goals. A color calibration pattern is printed on the same sheet with substantially each image, and with a fiducial mark for later locating the calibration pattern, in a relatively narrow marginal region. The calibration pattern—a subset of a pattern used in full color-correction operation—is scanned by a measurement sensor, together with unprinted blank printing medium immediately adjacent to the calibration pattern, to first calibrate the sensor itself (A/D conversion gain and offset) and then check colorimetric calibration of the image-forming functions of the printer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Santiago Bello
  • Patent number: 6771379
    Abstract: Computation and data-storage are minimized in both accounting for element condition and reallocation of print tasks away from subnominal elements. An accounting function maintains an element-condition tabulation partly in a cumulative form—representing element stability directly without later interpretation. A reallocation distributes print burden from a subnominal element to plural other elements without making a new mask. Rather, entries for a poor element in a current mask are shifted prospectively and quickly to other elements serving the same pixel rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Lionelle Grandmougin, Marc Serra, Miquel Boleda, Jesús De la Lama, Salvador Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20030030828
    Abstract: To translate a physical color to a color space of a printer device, a color patch is scanned using a printer's internal scanner. The printer then automatically prints that scanned color, together with a range of variations of that color, on the print media on which printing is to occur. A user may quickly and easily select a color match from the range of colors printed, by visual inspection. The user enters the selected color into the printer, using for example a number or position code, or by marking the selected color on the print media, which is then re-scanned by the printer. Thus, an iterative prior art manual procedure of color modification using color data determined by spectrophotometers is avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Pau Soler, Ferran Vilanova
  • Patent number: 6471332
    Abstract: Techniques for printing ink drops in an inkjet printer, where at least one color ink can be printed by two (or more) printheads. The drops to be printed are divided between the two printheads with purposes of higher printer velocity, higher image quality and higher print reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Michel Encrenaz, Miquel Boleda
  • Publication number: 20020145643
    Abstract: Techniques for printing ink drops in an inkjet printer, where at least one color ink can be printed by two (or more) printheads. The drops to be printed are divided between the two printheads with purposes of higher printer velocity, higher image quality and higher print reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Michel Encrenaz, Miquel Boleda
  • Publication number: 20020101602
    Abstract: Computation and data-storage are minimized in both accounting for element condition and reallocation of print tasks away from subnominal elements. An accounting function maintains an element-condition tabulation partly in a cumulative form—representing element stability directly without later interpretation. A reallocation distributes print burden from a subnominal element to plural other elements without making a new mask. Rather, entries for a poor element in a current mask are shifted prospectively and quickly to other elements serving the same pixel rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Ferran Vilanova, Lionelle Grandmougin, Marc Serra, Miquel Boleda, Jesus De la Lama, Salvador Sanchez