Patents Assigned to Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
  • Patent number: 6047223
    Abstract: This invention refers to an electronic computer 10 having a reader 21 for the reading of removable magneto-optic media (CD-ROM) 14. The electronic computer 10 allows even non-expert users to playback the CD-ROM media by pressing pushbuttons 48 on a button panel 45 and visualises on a display 47 information concerning the type of CD-ROM inserted in the reader 21 and the functionality selected. The electronic computer 10 is also capable of passing automatically from an operating state of maximum performance to one of reduced performance with a resultant reduction in electrical energy consumption. The electronic computer 10 can also be connected to television sets 12 and to video recorders 13. The computer 10 according to this invention, while possessing the functionality described above, still remains flexible, powerful, and upgradable, which are attributes typical of personal computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gabriele Sartori
  • Patent number: 5973479
    Abstract: A device (10) and method for charging rechargeable type batteries (11) in which the charging current (Ib) supplied the batteries is measured and the temperature variation (.DELTA.Teff) of the batteries is determined over an established interval of time. Furthermore, this variation is compared with a reference value (.DELTA.Tref) so that battery charging can be interrupted when the variation equals or exceeds the reference value (.DELTA.Tref). The reference value (.DELTA.Tref) is defined in relation to the current (Ib) charging the batteries (11) so as to take into account all the possible current values with which the batteries are charged. To advantage, battery charging is interrupted and battery overloading avoided when the charging of the batteries (11) is terminated by a very low charging current. The device (10) and method are particularly suitable for charging the batteries of electronic equipment, such as a personal computer or similar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Vittorio Pomo, Dario Mellina
  • Patent number: 5947471
    Abstract: The document aligning and feeding device comprises couples of rollers formed by a delivery roller (15) and a backup counter-roller (14), wherein each couple of rollers is subjected to a lower load during the aligning step and a higher load during the successive feeding step. The backup counter-roller is formed by two separate, coaxially coupling counter-rollers, one of which (33) has a lower coefficient of friction with the document and is the one operating during the aligning step, whereas the other (31) has a higher coefficient of friction and is operational during the successive feeding step. This allows the document to rotate freely about one of its corners during the aligning step, and to advance without being deflected during the successive feeding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Attilio De Ambrogio
  • Patent number: 5879091
    Abstract: An impact printer (30) comprises a printhead (31) traversing along a guide for printing a line on a document (32) of thickness S, and is provided with contrast means for supporting the document (32) against the head (31) and for contrasting the impact force exerted by the latter against the document. The printhead (31) bears a spacing roller (34) which causes the contrast means to yield in order to compensate for thickness S, which varies according to the document (32), and thus maintain the distance D between the head (31) and the document (32) constant. The contrast means comprise a flexible platen (33) attached yieldingly at the ends, of length at least equal to or greater than that of the print line and having a variable section frame so that the pressure generated between the platen (33) and the roller (34) is substantially constant all along the print line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Attilio De Ambrogio, Massimo Oberto, Gianrico Scarton
  • Patent number: 5668582
    Abstract: An ink jet printing head 14 is mounted on a movable carriage 13 and a fixing device 32 removably fixes the head 14 by means of a hook 111 adapted to cooperate with a shoulder of the head 14 or an alternative priming head 16 of the wire type. An electronic control unit 22 controls a control device 156 adapted to recognize which type of head is mounted on the carriage 13 and actuates it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Mario Manzone, Piero Pace
  • Patent number: 5606519
    Abstract: A computer comprises a keyboard, and a base with a housing accommodating either a floppy disk drive or part of an external power supply which can be connected to the mains. When the power supply is fitted in the housing, a sensor prepares a reduced output power state. The keyboard is mobile, and there is a hard disk drive which can be removed by raising the keyboard from its operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giacomo Viletto
  • Patent number: 5570290
    Abstract: The invention concerns an electronic franking system for postal items. The technical problem is that of franking the postal item correctly, without the intervention of postal administration staff. The system 31 is of the "self service" type, and comprises a cabinet 32 which houses an electronic unit 33, a keyboard 34, a screen 36, a compartment 64 for receiving the postal items 38, a mail unit 37 for weighing and franking the item 38 and post boxes 41 and 42. A vandal-proof door 77 separates the postal item 38 from the user during the weighing and franking operations. The system 31 also comprises a payment unit 43, a print device 44 for issuing a receipt and units for dispensing stamps 46 and envelopes 47.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Vanni Foschi
  • Patent number: 5526513
    Abstract: A memory addressing device for data processing apparatus addresses in sequence and in a burst a series of memory locations in a single addressing period of a central processing unit. The device comprises enabling circuits to set a central processing unit (CPU) to a burst transfer cycle and to keep a memory control unit (MCU) in a waiting state during the burst transfer. An address generator circuit is capable of generating in sequence a series of memory address codes to address a series of locations in the memory (RAM) during the burst transfer cycle. A multiplexer circuit sends to the memory either the address code of the address generator or that of the memory control unit during the burst cycles and the normal cycles respectively. The device is particularly suitable for use in personal computers with high data transfer rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Walter Cerutti
  • Patent number: 5523848
    Abstract: The printing device has, in addition to a line feeding device mounted upstream of the printing line to make the sheet advance incrementally, an extraction mechanism mounted downstream of the printing line in order to enable printing without smudging until the trailing edge of the sheet; the extraction mechanism including a couple of robber rollers and opposed pressure rollers having fine external teeth, which are selectively engaged, when the trailing edge of the sheet reaches a determined position, by means of cam driven levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Pietro Musso, Paolo Rivera
  • Patent number: 5519424
    Abstract: An ink jet print head in which the ink contained in a chamber is expelled through a nozzle in the form of droplets by the rapid heating of a heating element inside the chamber. The chamber is of polygonal form and communicates with an ink supply channel disposed at a corner of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Scardovi, Roberto Morandotti
  • Patent number: 5489932
    Abstract: An ink container for an ink jet print head has a main tank filled with an absorbent fibrous material which holds ink by capillary action. A feed channel conducts ink from the main tank to a feed chamber whence it passes to the head. An auxiliary tank (30) is fixed to the side of the main tank (15) and communicates with it by a channel at the end of the main tank having the feed channel. The container can be refilled by inserting ink through an aperture into the auxiliary tank from where it passes into the main tank by capillary action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Danilo Ceschin, Rinaldo Ferrarotti, Roberto Morandotti, Alessandro Scardovi
  • Patent number: 5481645
    Abstract: A portable computer has a voice section and is capable of processing texts and verbal inserts originating from the voice section. The computer comprises a voice conversion unit, a hard disc unit for the storage in memory or the reproduction of texts and of verbal inserts and function keys (FN F9) to command the access to a voice management program (VOICE). An annotation command (ANNOTATE) permits the visual display on a screen and the leaving in the text of a linkage track for a verbal insert datum. The computer comprises a cover, which carries preset keys which are accessible from the outside for the handling of verbal inserts as in a cassette recorder. The computer links the inserts both in a commercial WP program texts and in texts of a resident program NOTE which is specialized for texts with call-ups for the inserts. It further provides a plurality of compression/decompression programs for compressing and decompressing the voice signals in accordance with differing quality/occupancy ratios of the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gian L. Bertino, Sergio Rainero
  • Patent number: 5475626
    Abstract: A portable computer consists of a base unit within which an electronic unit is housed along with two power supply conductors for the electronic unit. The base unit includes a housing to receive a battery pack with terminals for connection to the power supply conductors. The battery pack contains rechargeable batteries. A power supply control circuit is also connected to the conductors and this includes a recharging circuit. When power is applied via an external socket to the base unit the control circuit and recharging circuit are activated. A sensor device is responsive to the presence of the battery pack to supply the recharging current to the rechargeable batteries. When non-rechargeable batteries are inserted in the housing no recharging current is supplied to them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giacomo Viletto
  • Patent number: 5438530
    Abstract: A computer is provided with a base unit having a receptacle, under a keyboard, capable of housing a tracking device (mouse) in the inoperative position. The tracking device is supported by a flexible sheet suitably guided by the base unit so that it may be easily withdrawn from its receptacle. The flexible sheet has a precurved part so that it causes the tracking device to snap into a raised position adjacent to the keyboard when it is in its operating position. In a variant, a supporting structure for a mouse is also provided and enables the mouse to be positioned on the left side of the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Francesco Bettini
  • Patent number: 5414452
    Abstract: In ink jet printers in which the printing head (33) is connected to an ink reservoir (16), such as may be used in teleprinter or facsimile apparatuses, it is necessary to foresee the expiry of the ink in the reservoir in order to be able in due time to replace the printing head or the pertinent cartridge. A logic circuit (40) is used to count the number of drops gradually expelled, and, with any necessary correction, compares this number with the maximum number of drops equivalent to a known volume of ink contained on average in the reservoir. Expiry of the ink is indicated in in dependence on the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Accatino, Angelo Arca
  • Patent number: 5410497
    Abstract: A Portable computer comprises a base unit on which a lid is hinged. The base unit houses an electronic unit which can assume various operational states and carries an input unit. A display screen is carried by the lid and is controlled by the electronic unit to display graphic symbols and alphanumeric characters. The lid can be moved from an open position, allowing access to the input unit and allowing the screen to be seen, to a closed position. A mode indicator is carried by the base unit and displays various characters and symbols indicating different operational states of the computer. A viewing zone provided in the lid enables the mode indicator to be seen when the lid is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C. S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giacomo Viletto
  • Patent number: 5358555
    Abstract: Ink for an ink jet printer comprises a microdisperse three-phase system having two liquid phases and one solid phase, the pigment. The ink exhibits a high indelibility and a low tendency towards the formation of microprecipitates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Argentero, Anna Maria Soudaz
  • Patent number: D352953
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Enrico Maina
  • Patent number: D358375
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Michele De Lucchi, Hagai Shvadron
  • Patent number: D385551
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giacomo Viletto, Michele De Lucchi, Alessandro Chiarato