Patents by Inventor Thomas N. Taylor
Thomas N. Taylor 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: 7557965Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for the viewing and acquisition of images of a document such as a book. The apparatus allows for the automated and reliable turning of pages of the document, while supporting it in a manner to facilitate imaging of the facing pages. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a base for supporting the operative assemblies and components of the apparatus, a cradle assembly for holding a book, and a page turning assembly for presenting the pages to be imaged in seriatim. The method employed by the present invention involves the steps of turning pages, clamping pages and imaging, wherein the various components of the apparatus are operated to carry out the page turning and imaging functions in sequence.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2003Date of Patent: July 7, 2009Assignee: Kirtas Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Thomas N. Taylor, Lotfi Belkhir
-
Publication number: 20080316551Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for the viewing and acquisition of images of a document such as a book, including the automated and reliable turning of pages of the document, while supporting it in a manner to facilitate viewing or imaging of the facing pages.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2008Publication date: December 25, 2008Applicant: Kirtas Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Thomas N. Taylor, Lotfi Belkhir, Ahmed-Mohsen Shehata, Kevin Maurer, Brian Kehoe, Jeffrey C. Blood, Randall Ryon, Robert Savage, Kenneth J. Rieck
-
Patent number: 6955493Abstract: A system for binding books includes a flexible binding material in the form of a stud having top and bottom caps. The stud is inserted into signature staples that protrude from the body of the signature to form stud holes. The binding material can be any material that is extremely flexible, including silicone, metals, etc., as long as it allows the signatures to open in a lay-flat manner either at the signature interfaces or in the body of any signature. The flexible binding material can also be used to temporarily bind pre-punched pages of a book by inserting the flexible binding material into the pre-punched holes to facilitate lay-flat opening of the book.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2003Date of Patent: October 18, 2005Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Thomas Acquaviva, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Publication number: 20040131446Abstract: A system for binding books includes a flexible binding material in the form of a stud having top and bottom caps. The stud is inserted into signature staples that protrude from the body of the signature to form stud holes. The binding material can be any material that is extremely flexible, including silicone, metals, etc., as long as it allows the signatures to open in a lay-flat manner either at the signature interfaces or in the body of any signature. The flexible binding material can also be used to temporarily bind pre-punched pages of a book by inserting the flexible binding material into the pre-punched holes to facilitate lay-flat opening of the book.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Applicant: Xerox CorporationInventors: Thomas Acquaviva, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Publication number: 20040047009Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for the viewing and acquisition of images of a document such as a book. The apparatus allows for the automated and reliable turning of pages of the document, while supporting it in a manner to facilitate imaging of the facing pages. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a base for supporting the operative assemblies and components of the apparatus, a cradle assembly for holding a book, and a page turning assembly for presenting the pages to be imaged in seriatim. The method employed by the present invention involves the steps of turning pages, clamping pages and imaging, wherein the various components of the apparatus are operated to carry out the page turning and imaging functions in sequence.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2003Publication date: March 11, 2004Inventors: Thomas N. Taylor, Lotfi Belkhir
-
Patent number: 6663206Abstract: It is desirable to cover up or mask the stitch joint error. This invention provides systems and methods for indexing the position of a sheet of recording medium conventionally and then measuring the position of the sheet of recording medium accurately by a sensor. Data in the printhead is shifted so that the data is accurately aligned within a predetermined pixel accuracy to the known paper position. This invention covers up the resulting stitch joint error by modifying the pixels at the stitch joint interface to mask the apparent error.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2002Date of Patent: December 16, 2003Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Thomas N. Taylor
-
Publication number: 20030132979Abstract: It is desirable to cover up or mask the stitch joint error. This invention provides systems and methods for indexing the position of a sheet of recording medium conventionally and then measuring the position of the sheet of recording medium accurately by a sensor. Data in the printhead is shifted so that the data is accurately aligned within a predetermined pixel accuracy to the known paper position. This invention covers up the resulting stitch joint error by modifying the pixels at the stitch joint interface to mask the apparent error.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2002Publication date: July 17, 2003Applicant: XEROX CORPORATIONInventor: Thomas N. Taylor
-
Patent number: 6574014Abstract: The pages of a book being held at least partially open may be sequentially automatically turned over from one side of the book to the other by pivoting an elongated arm from one side of the book toward the other and turning over individual pages with a vacuum head pivoting relative to the elongated pivoted arm about a different pivot axis as the elongated arm moves to reduce undesirable forces on the individual book pages being turned over. The vacuum head may initially pivot to bend the edge of an individual page up away from the book, to aid in page separation, and then subsequently differently pivot to help peel the same page gently away from the vacuum head and flip it over onto the opposite side of the book. This may be assisted by moving frictional belts on the vacuum head.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: June 3, 2003Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Barry P. Mandel, Lotfi Belkhir, William R. Burger, Thomas E. Sollitt, Scott Miller, Eduard Kaminker, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Patent number: 6547370Abstract: A method for printing in an image forming system is disclosed. The method, in combination with an apparatus printhead, suppresses defects in printed images. When an image forming system prints an image or group of images in a swath by swath manner, there is a tendency for minor printing defects to arise based on poor alignment of the printhead or ink ejectors, or an error in the instruction software. The printing defects can be defects such as unwanted white spaces or lines, or unwanted bold areas or overlapping swath edges. The present invention utilizes the edges of the swaths to insert a stitch line between the swaths having a different number and size of pixels printed, to allow for modification of the stitch line after measuring an actual advance of a printing medium between each instance of a swath. The same image data line provides the instructions to print both the first and second portions of the stitch line, between each swath.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2001Date of Patent: April 15, 2003Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: David A. Mantell, Thomas N. Taylor, Doron Kletter
-
Publication number: 20030063334Abstract: The pages of a book being held at least partially open may be sequentially automatically turned over from one side of the book to the other by pivoting an elongated arm from one side of the book toward the other and turning over individual pages with a vacuum head pivoting relative to the elongated pivoted arm about a different pivot axis as the elongated arm moves to reduce undesirable forces on the individual book pages being turned over. The vacuum head may initially pivot to bend the edge of an individual page up away from the book, to aid in page separation, and then subsequently differently pivot to help peel the same page gently away from the vacuum head and flip it over onto the opposite side of the book. This may be assisted by moving frictional belts on the vacuum head.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2001Publication date: April 3, 2003Applicant: Xerox Corporation.Inventors: Barry P. Mandel, Lotfi Belkhir, William R. Burger, Thomas E. Sollitt, Scott Miller, Eduard Kaminker, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Patent number: 6463674Abstract: A dryer uses a two-phase drying system having a brief water condensation interval, followed by impinging parallel laminar recirculating hot air jets which impinge on wet ink to increase the copy rate of inkjet printing and to increase the quality of the printed image.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2000Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: John J. Meyers, Roger G. Leighton, Dawn M. Api, Gerald A. Domoto, Elias Panides, Narayan V. Deshpande, Andrew W. Hays, S. Warren Lohr, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Publication number: 20020130914Abstract: A method for printing in an image forming system is disclosed. The method, in combination with an apparatus printhead, suppresses defects in printed images. When an image forming system prints an image or group of images in a swath by swath manner, there is a tendency for minor printing defects to arise based on poor alignment of the printhead or ink ejectors, or an error in the instruction software. The printing defects can be defects such as unwanted white spaces or lines, or unwanted bold areas or overlapping swath edges. The present invention utilizes the edges of the swaths to insert a stitch line between the swaths having a different number and size of pixels printed, to allow for modification of the stitch line after measuring an actual advance of a printing medium between each instance of a swath. The same image data line provides the instructions to print both the first and second portions of the stitch line, between each swath.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2001Publication date: September 19, 2002Applicant: Xerox CorporationInventors: David A. Mantell, Thomas N. Taylor, Doron Kletter
-
Patent number: 6450712Abstract: A printer control apparatus and an algorithm for determining the peak instantaneous speed of a substrate through a thermal ink jet printer and a printer apparatus are disclosed herein. The printer includes a dryer module, a print head module, and a controller. The method includes determining the tolerable peak instantaneous speeds of the substrate through the print head and dryer modules, which by their sequential nature, operate out of phase from one another. The lower of the two speeds is then selected as the optimum instantaneous speed of the substrate through the printer. A controller in the printer carries out methods disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Dinesh S. Shah, Frederick A. Donahue, John F. Moreland, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Publication number: 20020102121Abstract: A printer control apparatus and an algorithm for determining the peak instantaneous speed of a substrate through a thermal ink jet printer and a printer apparatus are disclosed herein. The printer includes a dryer module, a print head module, and a controller. The method includes determining the tolerable peak instantaneous speeds of the substrate through the print head and dryer modules, which by their sequential nature, operate out of phase from one another. The lower of the two speeds is then selected as the optimum instantaneous speed of the substrate through the printer. A controller in the printer carries out methods disclosed herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2001Publication date: August 1, 2002Inventors: Dinesh S. Shaw, Frederick A. Donahue, John F. Moreland, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Patent number: 6398208Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a compilation of sheets to a process station, including: a sheet tray for holding the compilation of sheets; an air plenum, positioned above the compilation of sheets, the air plenum including an outer perimeter, and a corrugated surface for corrugating one of the compilation of sheets into predefine multiple spans; a blower for generating a vacuum force in the air plenum to drive one of the compilation of sheets into contact with the air plenum thereby corrugating one of the compilation of sheets into predefine multiple spans; a series of sets of seals around the outer perimeter of the air plenum, for sealing one of the compilation of sheets against the air plenum.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Ming Yang, Thomas N. Taylor, James L. Kastner
-
Patent number: 6398207Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a compilation of sheets to a process station, including: a sheet tray for holding the compilation of sheets; an air plenum, positioned above the compilation of sheets, the air plenum including an outer perimeter, a seal around said outer perimeter and a blower for generating a vacuum force in the air plenum to drive one of the compilation of sheets into contact with the air plenum and the seal.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Thomas N. Taylor, Ming Yang, Larry L. Jenkins
-
Patent number: 6398206Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a compilation of sheets in a process direction to a process station, including: a sheet tray for holding the compilation of sheets; an air plenum, positioned above the compilation of sheets, the plenum including a corrugated surface having a first set of ribs at a first height and a second set of ribs at a second height; and a blower for generating a vacuum force in the air plenum to drive one of the compilation of sheets into contact with the corrugated surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Ming Yang, Thomas N. Taylor
-
Patent number: 6352255Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a compilation of sheets in a direction of movement to a process station, comprising: a sheet tray for holding said compilation of sheets; an air plenum, positioned above said compilation of sheets, for picking up sheets into contact with said air plenum when a vacuum force is applied; drive means, attached to said air plenum, for translating said air plenum initially in a direction reverse from the direction of movement so that a trailing edge of said one of said compilation of sheets abuts against a portion of said sheet tray to generate a buckle area in said one of said compilation of sheets thereby allowing separation of one of said compilation of sheets from other sheets in said compilation of sheets, and said drive means translates said one of said compilation of sheets in said direction of movement.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2000Date of Patent: March 5, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Thomas N. Taylor
-
Patent number: 6264188Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a stack of sheets in a direction of movement to a process station. A sheet tray is provided for holding the stack of sheets; an air plenum is positioned above the stack of sheets. The air plenum picks up a sheet from the stack of sheets when a vacuum force is in the air plenum; a paper fluffer is provided for blowing air between individual sheets in the stack. The paper fluffer is able to adjust air flow between individual sheets. The paper fluffer includes a support structure and a plate pivotality mounted in the support structure, the plate having a venturi plate portion in contact the sheet and regulating plate portion, the regulating plate portion has an aperture defined therein which permits air to go through and has a cross-section area which limits air low as the sheet moves in contact with the air plenum while pivoting the plate.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2000Date of Patent: July 24, 2001Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Thomas N. Taylor, Ming Yang
-
Patent number: 5805179Abstract: An office machine having a pair of printers includes a machine frame and a first printer mounted on the frame. A sheet transport assembly is mounted on the frame for moving sheets past the first printer along a sheet path. A second printer includes a printer cartridge having a cartridge frame and a thermal ink jet print head secured to the cartridge frame. An ink supply container is selectively secured to the cartridge frame so that it communicates with the ink jet print head. The ink supply container can be selectively removed from the cartridge frame. A carriage is mounted on the office machine frame so that the carriage can move in relation to the sheet path. The printer cartridge is removably mounted on the carriage. The carriage enables the printer cartridge to be selectively brought to a desired location in relation to the sheet path to allow the printer cartridge to print on a sheet travelling therepast.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1997Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Thomas N. Taylor, Robert A. Panos