Patents by Inventor William E Bland

William E Bland 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: 7350902
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device and a printhead including one or more such fluid ejection devices are provided. The fluid ejection device includes a substrate having a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, each array having a plurality of nozzles and being arranged along a first direction, the first nozzle array being arranged spaced apart in a second direction from the second nozzle array. A first fluid delivery pathway is in fluid communication with the first nozzle array, and a second fluid delivery pathway is in fluid communication with the second nozzle array. Nozzles of the first nozzle array have a first opening area and are arranged along the first nozzle array at a pitch P. Nozzles of the second nozzle array have a second opening area, the second opening area being less than the first opening area. At least one nozzle of the second array is arranged offset in the first direction from at least one nozzle of the first array by a distance which is less than pitch P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Steven J. Dietl, Steven A. Billow, William E. Bland, James M. Chwalek
  • Patent number: 6688717
    Abstract: A sheet of inkjet printed photographic images having orthogonal fiducial marks extending along a leading edge of the printed field and along a lateral side of the printed field. The fiducial marks register with the printed field and provide information regarding the location of the images in the printed field relative to the larger sheet. The registration of the lateral side fiducial mark and print field is accomplished by exercising the nozzles of the print head at each pass of the print head during the printing of the photographic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignees: Eastman Kodak Company, Hewlett-Packard Development Company
    Inventors: Terence Chee Sung Chang, James Robert Schmedake, William E. Bland, Hongsheng Zhang, Herb Sarnoff
  • Patent number: 6598953
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the condition of an inkjet printhead. A test image is printed by the printhead and a second reference printhead. The density of ink dots in the test image is selected so that each dot just contacts adjacent dots while avoiding significant overlap. A defective nozzle can produce misplaced or undersized dots, creating abnormal spacing between adjacent dots. At the selected ink dot density, the abnormal spacing is most perceptible to the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Phogenix Imaging, LLC
    Inventor: William E. Bland
  • Publication number: 20030126962
    Abstract: A photofinishing system and method for providing for the digital processing of a set of photographs including a digital printer, buffer, laminator and cutter, and associated methods of use for improving the accuracy of printing, processing, laminating and cutting individual photos during a digital photofinishing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: William E. Bland, Terence Chee Sung Chang, Marland Chow, David Clark, Michael H. Davis, Scott Matthew Dennis, Sergio Escobedo, David Wayne Jasinski, Daniel Steven Kline, John F. Manard, James Mason, Kerry Neal McKay, David B. Petch, David Michael Petersen, Michael Puyot, Rajan Ramaswamy, Robert John Rosati, Herb Sarnoff, James Robert Schmedake, Honsheng Zhang, Mark Steven Janosky, James Arthur Larrabee, Stephan Paul Lolacona
  • Publication number: 20030122887
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the condition of an inkjet printhead. A test image is printed by the printhead and a second reference printhead. The density of ink dots in the test image is selected so that each dot just contacts adjacent dots while avoiding significant overlap. A defective nozzle can produce misplaced or undersized dots, creating abnormal spacing between adjacent dots. At the selected ink dot density, the abnormal spacing is most perceptible to the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventor: William E. Bland
  • Publication number: 20030107640
    Abstract: A sheet of inkjet printed photographic images having orthogonal fiducial marks extending along a leading edge of the printed field and along a lateral side of the printed field. The fiducial marks register with the printed field and provide information regarding the location of the images in the printed field relative to the larger sheet. The registration of the lateral side fiducial mark and print field is accomplished by exercising the nozzles of the print head at each pass of the print head during the printing of the photographic image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Applicant: Phogenix Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: Terence Chee Sung Chang, James Robert Schmedake, William E. Bland, Hongsheng Zhang, Herb Sarnoff
  • Patent number: 6536892
    Abstract: A sheet of inkjet printed photographic images having orthogonal fiducial marks extending along a leading edge of the printed field and along a lateral side of the printed field. The fiducial marks register with the printed field and provide information regarding the location of the images in the printed field relative to the larger sheet. The registration of the lateral side fiducial mark and print field is accomplished by exercising the nozzles of the print head at each pass of the print head during the printing of the photographic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Phogenix Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: Terence Chee Sung Chang, James Robert Schmedake, William E. Bland, Hongsheng Zhang, Herb Sarnoff
  • Patent number: 6536869
    Abstract: A swath printer and multipass printing method for improving print quality. The printer minimizes dot placement errors on a printed medium due to depositing drops of ink from lower quality printhead nozzles by providing a printmask having a mask pattern which prints with those nozzles most susceptible to dot placement error using a hi-fipe printmode which deposits into a specific pixel location a small number of drops in each of multiple passes, and a multidrop printmode which deposits into a specific pixel location many drops rapidly in one of the passes. Because such a printer and method prints substantially equally with all printhead nozzles, it does not shorten the useful life of the printhead due to defects associated with the number of times a nozzle deposits ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: William E Bland, Ian N Kirkwood, Ronald A Askeland
  • Patent number: 6505906
    Abstract: A method providing for the exercise of one or more nozzles of an inkjet print head and simultaneously forming fiducial registration marks on a sheet of print medium. The exercising and forming of the fiducial registration marks both occur in the course of forming inkjet printed images on the sheet of print medium so that the prints and fiducial marks are in registry. Preferably exercising of the nozzles occurs at the beginning and end of each pass of the print head so that there are two such fiducial marks, one along each lateral edge of the image. A segment of a print medium including printed images and a fiducial mark composed of the exercise of the inkjet print head nozzles is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Phogenix Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: William E. Bland, Michael Puyot, Rajan Ramaswamy, Terence Chee Sung Chang
  • Patent number: 6278469
    Abstract: An inkjet printer and printing method for improving print quality. The printer minimizes the visually perceptible effect of dot placement errors, dot size errors, and dot shape errors on a printed medium due to depositing drops of ink from lower print quality printhead nozzles. The printer provides a sensor which can test the ink drop output of the printhead nozzles to determine, for each particular printhead installed in the printer, which nozzles are of higher print quality and which are of lower print quality. A printmask is then defined based on the results of the testing for use in printing from that printhead. The printmask has a mask pattern which enables the deposition of more ink from higher quality nozzles and less ink from lower quality nozzles. Such a printer improves print quality without reducing throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: William E Bland, Ronald A Askeland