Patents Represented by Attorney Kathleen Neuner Manne
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Patent number: 7113197Abstract: A method of thermal printing resulting in reduced or no wrinkling of the thermal printing ribbon during printing is described, wherein the ribbon includes inorganic particles in a polymeric host material in at least one layer of the ribbon. The ribbon has improved mechanical and thermal properties as compared to ribbons not incorporating the inorganic particles. The method can be used in high speed printing.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2003Date of Patent: September 26, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Zhanjun Gao
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Patent number: 7108891Abstract: A method of making a microarray comprising the steps of: providing a support; coating on the support a receiving layer to receive microspheres, the receiving layer being capable of undergoing sol/gel transition; coating on the receiving layer a dispersion of microspheres in a carrier fluid, wherein the carrier fluid contains at least one crosslinking agent and is capable of solvating the receiving layer; allowing the microspheres to partially submerge into the receiving layer; creating conditions to induce sol/gel transition in the receiving layer, thus immobilizing the microspheres; evaporating off the carrier fluid; and allowing crosslinking reaction between the receiving layer and the crosslinker in the carrier fluid.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2002Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Krishnan Chari, Tiecheng A. Qiao, Ramasubramaniam Hanumanthu
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Patent number: 7104448Abstract: A docking station for reading and writing an electronically writable return reminder tag located on a surface of a rental item, the rental item or the return reminder tag having locating features and the return reminder tag including an electronically writable bistable display, a machine readable code identifying the rental item, and a plurality of conductive pads located on the front side of the tag for writing to the display, includes a body defining complementary locating features for locating the rental item bearing the return reminder tag with respect to the docking station; a scanner for scanning the machine readable code on the return reminder tag; and a plurality of contact pins for contacting the conductive pads of the return reminder tag.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2002Date of Patent: September 12, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Robert G. Capurso, Stanley W. Stephenson, James M. Papa, Gary M. Spinelli
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Patent number: 7091157Abstract: The present invention is directed to an image-receiving layer comprising a polyester, or a polyester blend, which exhibits excellent lightfade and high dye transfer efficiency, as well as low materials cost. In particular, the invention relates to an image recording element comprising a support having on one side thereof an image-receiving layer comprising a polyester comprising at least 0.1 mole percent of a multifunctional polyol having more than two hydroxy groups and/or a polyacid having more than two carboxylic acid groups, including derivatives thereof, based on the total acid derived units. The invention is useful, for example, as a dye-receiver element for thermal dye transfer having on one side of the support a dye-image receiving layer. The polyester is especially advantageous for use in dye-receiving layers that are extruded instead of solvent-coated.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2003Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Teh-Ming Kung, Paul D. Yacobucci, Eric E. Arrington
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Patent number: 7067457Abstract: A dye-donor element including a dye-donor layer is described, wherein the dye-donor element includes a stick preventative agent. The dye-donor element is capable of printing an image on a receiver element at a line speed of 2 ms/line or less while maintaining a print density of at least two, and a print to fail value of at least four. A print assembly including the dye-donor element and a receiver element is also described, as well as a method of printing using the dye-donor element.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2003Date of Patent: June 27, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: David G. Foster, Maurice L. Gray, Teh-Ming Kung, William M. York, III, Brian T. Pope
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Patent number: 7034065Abstract: An ink jet ink composition comprising water, a pigment, a humectant and a hyperbranched polymer having end groups consisting essentially of hydrophilic moieties, said hyperbranched polymer having the following formula: HB—Xg wherein: HB is a hyperbranched polymer core; X is a hydrophilic end group; and g is an integer of at least 2.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2001Date of Patent: April 25, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jin-Shan Wang, Huijuan Chen
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Patent number: 7024153Abstract: A skiving device including at least one nozzle tip and at least one roller is described, as well as methods of using the skiving device. Skives made with the skiving device are clean, neat, and do not damage underlying layers.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Megan L. Weiner, Charles M. Rankin, Jr., John P. Macauley, Theodore K. Ricks, Rusty J. Coleman
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Patent number: 7016632Abstract: Development systems and methods for developing using chemically prepared toners are disclosed. The present invention further discloses developers used in development systems. The use of chemically prepared toners with hard magnetic carrier particles with a non-magnetic, cylindrical shell for transporting developers provides excellent benefits with respect to image quality by reducing granularity and by providing a typically constant, stable developer life as shown by the consistent level of charge to mass over time during operation.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2003Date of Patent: March 21, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Jan Bares, James H. Anderson, Matthew Ezenyilimba, William K. Goebel
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Patent number: 7009190Abstract: A method of forming a contact image of an object on an imaging sheet including a bistable thermally responsive material is described, wherein the method comprises applying energy to the imaging sheet, the object, or both, and contacting the sheet with the object, thereby creating an image of the object on the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2004Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Stanley W. Stephenson, III, Xiang-Dong Mi
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Patent number: 7005406Abstract: The present invention relates to an image recording element comprising a support having on one side thereof an image-receiving layer, wherein the image-receiving layer comprises a polyester comprising (a) recurring dibasic acid derived units and polyol derived units, at least 50 mole % of the dibasic acid derived units comprising dicarboxylic acid derived units each containing an alicyclic ring comprising 4 to 10 ring carbon atoms, which ring is within two carbon atoms of each carboxyl group of the corresponding dicarboxylic acid, (b) 25 to 75 mole % of the polyol derived units containing an aromatic ring not immediately adjacent to each hydroxyl group of the corresponding polyol; and (c) 25 to 75 mole % of the polyol derived units of the polyester contain an alicyclic ring comprising 4 to 10 ring carbon atoms. Image recording elements of the invention are especially useful for thermal dye transfer printing or electrophotographic printing of images with dyes, pigments, or toner materials.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2003Date of Patent: February 28, 2006Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Teh-Ming Kung, Paul D. Yacobucci, Eric E. Arrington
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Patent number: 6969578Abstract: An optical recording material which when exposed to actinic radiation produces a change in optical properties in the exposed regions, thereby providing a pattern of intelligence for storing and retrieving information, the recording material having: a) a polymer containing a covalently bound reactant moiety which is capable of undergoing a chemical transformation upon a one electron oxidation, thus causing the change in optical properties in the exposed regions; and b) a sensitizer capable of absorbing actinic radiation to cause an initial one electron oxidation of the reactant.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2002Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Douglas R. Robello, Samir Y. Farid, Joseph P. Dinnocenzo, Jason G. Gillmore
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Patent number: 6942956Abstract: A process of transferring a protection layer from a dye-donor receiver after thermal dye transfer. In one embodiment, the transferable protection layer contains inorganic particles, a polymeric binder, organic particles and an organic gloss-enhancing agent that enhances the gloss of the final print. The transferred protection layer that provides a higher gloss to an image after transfer. A laminate containing such a gloss-enhancing agent has been found to enable printing at lower line times, faster printing, for thermal prints withwhile maintaining high gloss.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2003Date of Patent: September 13, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: William H. Simpson, Jacob J. Hastreiter, Robert F. Mindler
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Patent number: 6939828Abstract: A dye-receiver element for thermal dye transfer includes a support having on one side thereof a dye image-receiving layer characterized in that a release agent is present in the dye-image receiving layer which release agent comprises a siloxane-containing polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least 150,000 and a viscosity in the range of 10 million mm2/sec to 50 million mm2/second. The invention also relates to a process of making a dye-receiver element for thermal dye transfer from a dye-donor element, said dye-receiver element comprising a support having thereon a dye image-receiving layer made by a process comprising forming a melt of a thermoplastic material comprising the release agent, extruding or coextruding the melt as a single-layer film or a layer of a composite (multilayer) film; and applying the extruded film or composite film to a support for the dye-receiver element.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2003Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Eric E. Arrington, Brett Z. Blaisdell
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Patent number: 6927415Abstract: An imaging composition comprising a mixture of a solvent and a functional material; wherein the solvent is a compressed fluid and the functional material is a electron transporting material which is dissolved, dispersed and/or solubilized in the compressed fluid; wherein the mixture is thermodynamically stable or thermodynamically metastable or both; wherein the functional material is solvent-free upon deposition on a substrate; and wherein the functional material forms a solid film upon deposition on the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2002Date of Patent: August 9, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Glen C. Irvin, Ramesh Jagannathan, Seshadri Jagannathan, Rajesh V. Mehta, Sridhar Sadasivan, Ross A. Sprout, Tin T. Vo
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Patent number: 6924783Abstract: In a drive scheme for driving the pixels of a passive matrix liquid crystal display having row and column electrodes, the drive scheme including a selection step, the selection step including applying row and column waveforms to the display to generate selected pixel voltage pulses in a selected row and to generate non selected pixel voltage pulses in non selected rows, the selection step having an effective selection time that depends on the preceding and following nonselected pixel voltages, a framing voltage pulse is inserted between each successive selected pixel voltage pulse such that the effective selection time is independent of the preceding and following nonselected pixel voltages, whereby data pattern dependent defects in a displayed image are eliminated.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2003Date of Patent: August 2, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: David M. Johnson, Xiang-Dong Mi
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Patent number: 6916620Abstract: A method of identifying nucleic acid samples comprising: providing a mircoarray including a substrate coated with a composition including a population of nucleic acid probe modified micro-spheres immobilized in a coating containing a gelling agent or a precursor to a gelling agent, wherein a first portion of the micro-spheres is submerged in the gelatin coating and a second portion is exposed above the gelatin coating and is substantially free of gelatin, at least one sub-population of the population micro-spheres containing an optical barcode generated from at least one colorant associated with the micro-spheres and including a nucleic acid probe sequence; contacting the array with a target nucleic acid sequence; and detecting the color barcode of the sub-population of micro-spheres due to the interaction of the probe nucleic acid sequence and the fluorescently/chemiluminescently labeled nucleic acid sample target nucleic acid sequence.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2002Date of Patent: July 12, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Tiecheng A. Qiao, Krishnan Chari, Douglas L. Vizard
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Patent number: 6908033Abstract: A method of writing an electrically writable tag using a hand-held writing device includes the steps of providing an electrically writable tag having a plurality of electrical conductors located on a display surface of the tag, and a mechanical alignment feature including a detent for locating the tag with respect to a hand-held writing device; providing a hand-held writing device having a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts for simultaneously making contact with the electrical conductors of the tag, and a complementary alignment feature with a detent for locating the hand-held writing device with respect to the tag; and locating the hand-held writing device with respect to the tag, using the alignment features, and activating the hand-held writing device to write information on the tag.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2002Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Robert G. Capurso, James M. Papa, Stanley W. Stephenson
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Patent number: 6897183Abstract: This invention relates to a process for making an image-recording element, for example a dye-receiving element for thermal dye transfer, that includes a support having on one side thereof a image-receiving layer and, between the image-receiving layer and the support, a tie layer comprising a thermoplastic antistat polymer. In one embodiment, the process comprises (a) forming a first melt of a polymer for the surface layer and a second melt comprising a thermoplastic antistat polymer in a polymeric binder; (b) coextruding the two melts onto a polyolefin support; (c) stretching the coextruded layers to reduce the thickness; and (d) applying the coextruded melts to a support while simultaneously reducing the temperature below the Tg of the composition of the surface layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2003Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Eric E. Arrington, Thomas M. Laney
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Patent number: 6897906Abstract: A method of recording rewritable time related information on a label, includes the steps of providing an electrically rewritable label associated with an article which includes a plurality of rewritable segments, each such segment having a layer including a material which is effective in at least first and second optical states so that the time related information can be written, rewritten and viewed, wherein such time related information relates to usage or potential usage of the article or a device associated with the article and such time related information can be electrically changed by providing appropriate electrical fields to the material, and electrically addressing selected segments to write or rewrite appropriate time related information.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2002Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Stanley W. Stephenson
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Patent number: 6894668Abstract: A driving scheme for chiral nematic (cholesteric) liquid crystal displays comprises a preparation step, a holding-selection step, and an evolution step. The column and row drivers require only 2 voltage levels: U or 0. Duty cycles and phases in the preparation step, the holding-selection step, and the evolution step, are varied to generate optimized contrast, brightness, and gray levels on cholesteric liquid crystal displays.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2002Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Xiang-Dong Mi, Stanley W. Stephenson