Patents by Inventor Xavier Girones
Xavier Girones 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).
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Patent number: 6860580Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2003Date of Patent: March 1, 2005Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch
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Patent number: 6814422Abstract: A method of servicing a pen comprising a printhead, having a plurality of nozzles, mounted in an inkjet printing device, comprising a servicing area and a drop detector comprising the following steps performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any of the nozzles of the printhead are malfunctioning; storing the result of the more recent drop detection operation, together with the results of the previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle; deciding whether or not to execute a recovery service in the servicing area to attempt to recover the current malfunctioning nozzles, based on the more recent status of the nozzles and on the history of the health status of the nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2002Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P.Inventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Antoni Murcia, Christopher Taylor, Ramon Vega
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Patent number: 6752483Abstract: An improved apparatus for checking a plurality of printer nozzles in a printer device comprises: a print head comprising a plurality of nozzles; a means for detecting at least one droplet of ink ejected from at least one nozzle of said plurality of nozzles; and a means for performing a sequence of measurements on a first output signal of said detecting means, wherein a determination of performance of said print head is made by analysing detected output signals produced by one or a plurality of ink droplets passing the detector, the one or plurality of ink droplets containing a predetermined minimum volume of ink, and said sequence of measurements being measured at a plurality of time intervals.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2000Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development, L.P.Inventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch, Antoni Murcia
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Publication number: 20040080565Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Inventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch
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Patent number: 6682164Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2001Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch
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Patent number: 6652064Abstract: An inkjet printing device for printing plots comprises a printhead, which has a plurality of nozzles each nozzle having at least a working status and a failing status, a servicing unit capable of applying recovery functions to said plurality of nozzles, detection means for checking if a nozzles is in a working status or in a failing status, memory means and a plurality of functions executable by said device to improve image quality. Said memory means, responsive to said detection means, contains data on how the status of a nozzle is varying over time. Said device further comprises means to select and execute at least one of said plurality of functions, responsive to the data stored in said memory means.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2001Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Xavier Bruch, Lidia Calvo, Jose Jurjo, Antoni Murcia, Xavier Girones, Christopher Taylor, Ramon Vega
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Patent number: 6644768Abstract: An arbitrary 3D or 2D shape is formed by construction from colorant in a volume—which may be cylindrical, annular, or of arbitrary cross-section, depending on form of the invention. In some forms, a 2D-extended array of colorant-ejecting nozzles is disposed in a particular linear direction relative to the volume, and a programmed processor controls ejection of colorant from the nozzles to pass through the volume. A 2D colorant-retrieving frame (ideally back-to-back with the array) is disposed in a second linear direction opposite to the one particular direction, from the array, to recover the colorant and thus erase the image—which can then be refreshed, with animation changes if desired, by the writing array. Colorant is moved through the volume by gravity, or by continuous ejection of material from the array and suction at the frame to form a suspending fluid flow—the array moving at equal but opposite velocity so that the image is stationary.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2000Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Ramon Vega, Antoni Murcia, Ramon Borrell, Xavier Girones
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Patent number: 6604807Abstract: A method for detecting clogged or otherwise anomalous nozzles in an ink jet printing device having a printer head containing at least one nozzle configured to eject droplets of ink, the method including sending an instruction to the printer head to eject droplets of ink, generating an output signal from a detecting means configured to detect a passage of droplets past the detecting means and applying an algorithm to the output signal which is configurable to check a correct functioning of the nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 1999Date of Patent: August 12, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Antoni Murcia, Xavier Bruch, Josë Luís Valero, Xavier Girones
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Patent number: 6595621Abstract: An ink jet printing process for removing or substantially hiding vertical bands which may be produced during a printing operation includes the application of a controlled variance to shift the horizontal position of certain ink drops fired from certain nozzles. That is, instead of firing ink drops from each of the nozzles simultaneously, the controlled variance causes the ink drops to be fired at various times after the firing signal has been received. The controlled variance may involve a mathematical formula applied to set the level of horizontal shift for each of the ink drops. Examples of suitable mathematical formulae include sinusoidal functions, Bessel functions, and Tschebysheff polynomials.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2001Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Jorge Castano, Xavier Girones
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Publication number: 20030117455Abstract: A method of servicing a pen comprising a printhead, having a plurality of nozzles, mounted in an inkjet printing device, comprising a servicing area and a drop detector comprising the following steps performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any of the nozzles of the printhead are malfunctioning; storing the result of the more recent drop detection operation, together with the results of the previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle; deciding whether or not to execute a recovery service in the servicing area to attempt to recover the current malfunctioning nozzles, based on the more recent status of the nozzles and on the history of the health status of the nozzles.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2002Publication date: June 26, 2003Inventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Antoni Murcia, Christopher Taylor, Ramon Vega
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Patent number: 6568787Abstract: To accurately position printheads (C,M,Y,K) of an inkjet printer 100 in the capping area of their service station (130), the position of service station insert members (e.g. 130K) is determined by an optical sensor (117) detecting a through hole (132K) in the cartridge lid (131), and the separation (j) of the optical sensor and the printheads (e.g. K) is precisely determined. The separation (j) is determined by using the printhead nozzles to print lines (144,146) in the directions of the scan and media axes, scanning the lines with the optical sensor (117), and calculating from the results the separation (j). The results of locating the four reference holes (132C, 132M, 132Y, 132K) of the service station insert members may be averaged.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2000Date of Patent: May 27, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch, Christopher Taylor, Antoni Murcia
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Patent number: 6565179Abstract: There is provided a method for determining the end of life of a pen having a printhead with a plurality of nozzles. The method includes performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any nozzle of the printhead is malfunctioning and storing the result of the drop detection together with the results of previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle. The method also includes evaluating the history of the health status of each nozzle of the printhead, and deciding whether or not to mark the pen as an end of life pen.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 1999Date of Patent: May 20, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Antoni Murcia, Christopher Taylor, Ramon Vega
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Patent number: 6557971Abstract: A method for servicing an inkjet printhead effects recovery against a particular printhead failure mode via implementation of a printhead servicing routine including, but not limited to, a bubble recovery routine, a contaminant purging routine, and/or a (standard) printhead servicing routine. In a preferred embodiment, the method for servicing an inkjet printhead takes into consideration nozzle health data, diagnostics, or the like. In a preferred embodiment, a bitmap or mask is employed to control firing of the nozzles during the servicing of the printhead. In a preferred embodiment, the servicing method includes the step of: firing the printing nozzles in a manner tending to force contaminants at the printing nozzles toward one end of the printhead.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2000Date of Patent: May 6, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch, Antoni Murcia, Kenneth E Trueba
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Patent number: 6554392Abstract: A system and method for substantially optimizing print quality or throughput based upon user preferences through use of a left spittoon to perform servicing operations on the printhead of a printer. By virtue of the fact that print quality is inversely proportional to throughput, sacrificing one aspect yields an improvement in the other aspect. When a certain printmode is selected, e.g., draft, print, or the like, the throughput associated with printing according to the selected printmode may vary. Accordingly, a user may select to improve either the print quality, the throughput, or a combination thereof through implementation of the auxiliary spittoon to perform servicing operations on the printhead at various times during a printing operation.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch
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Publication number: 20030030690Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2001Publication date: February 13, 2003Inventors: Ramon Vega, Xavier Girones, Xavier Bruch
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Patent number: 6517184Abstract: A method of servicing a pen comprising a printhead, having a plurality of nozzles, mounted in an inkjet printing device, comprising a servicing area and a drop detector comprising the following steps performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any of the nozzles of the printhead are malfunctioning; storing the result of the more recent drop detection operation, together with the results of the previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle; deciding whether or not to execute a recovery service in the servicing area to attempt to recover the current malfunctioning nozzles, based on the more recent status of the nozzles and on the history of the health status of the nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2000Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Antoni Murcia, Christopher Taylor, Ramon Vega
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Patent number: 6517183Abstract: An improved apparatus for checking a plurality of printer nozzles in a printer device comprises: a printer head comprising a plurality of nozzles; a device for detecting at least one droplet of ink sprayed from at least one nozzle of said plurality of nozzles; and a device for performing a sequence of measurements on a first output signal of the detecting device, wherein a determination of performance of the print head is made by analyzing detected output signals produced by one or a plurality of ink droplets passing the detector, the one or plurality of ink droplets containing a predetermined minimum volume of ink, and the sequence of measurements being measured at a plurality of time intervals.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2002Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Albert Serra, Ramon Vega, Antoni Murcia
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Patent number: 6513904Abstract: A method for servicing an inkjet printhead without removing the printhead from a carriage of the printer, wherein a controlled pressure differential is generated across the nozzle plate of the printhead to cause the formation of a controlled puddle of ink on the outside of the nozzle plate. Ink is then fired into the puddle through the nozzles of the printhead. The puddle may then be drawn back into the printhead through the nozzles. Alternatively the puddle is generated, is maintained for a predetermined period of time and then is withdrawn into the printhead without ink being fired from the nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2000Date of Patent: February 4, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Christopher Taylor, Xavier Girones, Antoni Murcia, Xavier Bruch
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Publication number: 20020180833Abstract: An ink jet printing process for removing or substantially hiding vertical bands which may be produced during a printing operation includes the application of a controlled variance to shift the horizontal position of certain ink drops fired from certain nozzles. That is, instead of firing ink drops from each of the nozzles simultaneously, the controlled variance causes the ink drops to be fired at various times after the firing signal has been received. The controlled variance may involve a mathematical formula applied to set the level of horizontal shift for each of the ink drops. Examples of suitable mathematical formulae include sinusoidal functions, Bessel functions, and Tschebysheff polynomials.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2001Publication date: December 5, 2002Inventors: Jorge Castano, Xavier Girones
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Publication number: 20020140760Abstract: An improved apparatus for checking a plurality of printer nozzles in a printer device comprises: a printer head comprising a plurality of nozzles (400); a means for detecting at least one droplet of ink sprayed from at least one nozzle of said plurality of nozzles (540, 560); and a means for performing a sequence of measurements on a first output signal of said detecting means (520), wherein a determination of performance of said print head is made by analyzing detected output signals produced by one or a plurality of ink droplets passing the detector, the one or plurality of ink droplets containing a predetermined minimum volume of ink, and said sequence of measurements being measured at a plurality of time intervals.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2002Publication date: October 3, 2002Inventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Albert Serra, Ramon Vega, Antoni Murcia