Patents Examined by Lam Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10220628
    Abstract: A technique of enhancing attachment of a liquid supply unit to a liquid ejection device is provided. A first ink cartridge 100a and a second ink cartridge 100b are attached to a carriage 27 of a printing device 10 via a holder structure 200. Each of the first and the second ink cartridges 100a and 100b includes a circuit substrate 130 having a plurality of terminals 151 to 159 which are electrically connected with a device-side terminal assembly 250 provided on the holder structure 200. Each of the first and the second ink cartridges 100a and 100b also includes a main engagement part 120 configured to engage with a lever member 230 of the holder structure 200 as an engaged part, such as to limit motion of the circuit substrate 130 away from the holder structure 200. The circuit substrate 130 includes a first terminal 151 and a second terminal 152 located on respective ends in an array direction of the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiota, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 10220627
    Abstract: A technique of enhancing attachment of a liquid supply unit to a liquid ejection device is provided. A first ink cartridge 100a and a second ink cartridge 100b are attached to a carriage 27 of a printing device 10 via a holder structure 200. Each of the first and the second ink cartridges 100a and 100b includes a circuit substrate 130 having a plurality of terminals 151 to 159 which are electrically connected with a device-side terminal assembly 250 provided on the holder structure 200. Each of the first and the second ink cartridges 100a and 100b also includes a main engagement part 120 configured to engage with a lever member 230 of the holder structure 200 as an engaged part, such as to limit motion of the circuit substrate 130 away from the holder structure 200. The circuit substrate 130 includes a first terminal 151 and a second terminal 152 located on respective ends in an array direction of the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiota, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 10214015
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate that includes a piezoelectric element formed by stacking a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode and a second electrode such that the piezoelectric layer is interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a wiring substrate that includes a driving element providing a signal for driving the piezoelectric element to the substrate. The substrate has an inspection region where a piezoelectric element for inspection which is a portion of the piezoelectric element is disposed. The wiring substrate has an electrode inspection region including an electrode to be inspected that is electrically connected to the piezoelectric element for inspection and is disposed on a surface side opposite to the substrate, and a flexible substrate mounting region which is disposed on the surface side opposite to the substrate, and is connected to a flexible substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutomo Tsukahara, Motoki Takabe, Eiju Hirai, Yoshihiro Hokari
  • Patent number: 10214010
    Abstract: A driving signal generating circuit generates, for each driving period, a main driving signal including a first sub driving signal including a first driving pulse, a second sub driving signal including a second driving pulse, and a third sub driving signal including a third driving pulse. The third sub driving signal follows the second sub driving signal. A driving signal supplying circuit includes a second dot former to supply the second sub driving signal and the third sub driving signal to an actuator coupled to a defining plate defining a portion of a pressure chamber, without supplying the first sub driving signal to the actuator. The third driving pulse starts after a lapse of a preset time from the start of the second driving pulse. The preset time is equal to a value of about p×Tc, where p is greater than 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: ROLAND DG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Misawa, Kenji Kazaoka
  • Patent number: 10214014
    Abstract: In a liquid ejection head, it is possible to suppress generation of a temperature distribution of liquid in a direction in which ejection openings are arranged in a print element board. Specifically, a liquid ejection head, which is provided with an ejection opening row in which a plurality of ejection openings for ejecting a liquid are arranged, includes a pressure chamber that communicates with the ejection openings and includes a pressure generation element, a passage which is provided with an opening and extends along the ejection opening row to supply the liquid flowing into the passage through the opening to the pressure chamber, a heater provided around the opening, and a temperature sensor provided in a region along the ejection opening row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yumi Komamiya, Takatsuna Aoki, Shingo Okushima, Takuto Moriguchi
  • Patent number: 10216159
    Abstract: The management computer of a mounting system, when productivity is lowered, identifies an operator and work type from a work history, retrieves a management value P for the identified work type for the identified operator, and increases the management value P by an increment of “1.” Then, the management computer of the mounting system, when judging that management value P is at least second threshold value P2, applies a performance restriction on the identified operator for the work of the identified work type. Thus, it is possible to curtail lowered productivity due to the same work by the same operator being repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tsuji, Shigenao Otane, Tomoko Ozaki
  • Patent number: 10209219
    Abstract: Method and systems for monitoring ion mobility spectrometers are provided. The method can include acquiring scan data, and generating a segment data set from the scan data. The method can further include deriving a subset of peak data from the segment data, where the subset of peak data has an associated set of peak metrics, and deriving a value from the subset of peak data associated with a criteria element of the associated set of peak metrics, where the criteria element has an associated range of values. The method can further include providing an indication in the event the value lies outside the associated range of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SMITHS DETECTION MONTREAL INC.
    Inventors: Julian C. Burton, Reno F. DeBono
  • Patent number: 10211777
    Abstract: The output of a photovoltaic power generator is estimated by estimating a solar radiation amount at a point different from solar radiation measurement points and determining an estimation error amount from solar radiation values measured at limited points. A photovoltaic power generator output estimation method estimates an output of a photovoltaic power generator based on a measured solar radiation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., Tohoku Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Watanabe, Kenichiro Yamane, Takuya Matsumoto, Masatoshi Kumagai, Tsukasa Oonishi, Ryo Egashira, Katsuhiro Matsuda, Jun Murakoshi, Tomoya Sato
  • Patent number: 10189264
    Abstract: A technique of enhancing attachment of a liquid supply unit to a liquid ejection device is provided. A first ink cartridge 100a and a second ink cartridge 100b are attached to a carriage 27 of a printing device 10 via a holder structure 200. Each of the first and the second ink cartridges 100a and 100b includes a circuit substrate 130 having a plurality of terminals 151 to 159 which are electrically connected with a device-side terminal assembly 250 provided on the holder structure 200. Each of the first and the second ink cartridges 100a and 100b also includes a main engagement part 120 configured to engage with a lever member 230 of the holder structure 200 as an engaged part, such as to limit motion of the circuit substrate 130 away from the holder structure 200. The circuit substrate 130 includes a first terminal 151 and a second terminal 152 located on respective ends in an array direction of the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Shiota, Atsushi Kobayashi, Tadahiro Mizutani, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 10189250
    Abstract: A printhead, comprises: a plurality of element substrates that each include a first element substrate adjacent to a second element substrate in a first direction, wherein a first print element array arranged in the first element substrate includes a first print element that is closest to the second element substrate in the first direction, and a second print element array arranged in the second element substrate includes a second print element closest to the first element substrate in the first direction, and an order of arrangement in the second direction of at least the first print element and a first driving circuit corresponding to the first print element is opposite to an order of arrangement in the second direction of the second print element and a second driving circuit corresponding to the second print element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Yamato
  • Patent number: 10185942
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a memory to store instructions, and one or more processors to execute the instructions and cause the image processing apparatus to function as a count unit and a determination unit. The count unit counts an image object of gray in an input image as a color pixel, wherein the count unit does not count an image object of white in the input image as a color pixel. The determination unit determines whether the input image is a color document based on a number of color pixels counted by the count unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10175302
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power system including a battery pack and a battery management system, the battery management system including a controller and a storage unit storing one or more executable programs executable to achieve battery functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA
    Inventors: Qishui Zhong, Baihua Li, Hui Li, Yuqing Zhao
  • Patent number: 10173445
    Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Kenta Horade, Mitsuhiro Nozaki, Hirotaka Aoki
  • Patent number: 10160235
    Abstract: To provide a printing device such as an inkjet device capable of transporting a recording medium at satisfactory precision with a simple configuration. The inkjet device includes a feed amount correcting section that corrects a feed amount of a recording medium, and a control section that controls the feed amount correcting section. The feed amount correcting unit includes a moving section that moves with a movement of the recording medium in a transporting direction and a displacement sensor section that detects a displacement amount of the moving section, and the control section controls the feed amount of the recording medium based on a difference between a feed amount acquired at a time of printing and a set feed amount set in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kota Tomioka, Yoshikazu Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10162325
    Abstract: A method for applying stress conditions to integrated circuit device samples during accelerated stress testing may include partitioning each of the integrated circuit device samples into a first region having a first functional element, partitioning each of the integrated circuit device samples into at least one second region having at least one second functional element, applying a first stress condition to the first region having the first element, applying a second stress condition to the at least one second region having the at least one second element, determining a first portion of the integrated circuit device samples that functionally failed based on the first stress condition, and determining a second portion of the integrated circuit device samples that functionally failed based on the second stress condition. An acceleration model parameter is derived based on the determining of the first and second portion of the integrated circuit samples that functionally failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Burns, Douglas S. Dewey, Nazmul Habib, Daniel D. Reinhardt
  • Patent number: 10162942
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for photon, ion or particle counting described that provides seven orders of magnitude of linear dynamic range (LDR) for a single detector. By explicitly considering the log-normal probability distribution in voltage transients as a function of the number of photons, ions or particles present, the binomial distribution of observed counts for a given threshold, the mean number of photons, ions or particles can be determined well beyond the conventional limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Garth Jason Simpson, Ryan Douglas Muir, David Joseph Kissick
  • Patent number: 10160200
    Abstract: A head unit includes a structure and a driver IC. The driver IC includes: a first electrode group including first and second electrodes electrically connected to one ends of first and second actuators; a second electrode group including third and fourth electrodes electrically connected to one ends of third and fourth actuators; a third electrode group including electrodes electrically connected to the other ends of the first and second actuators; and a fourth electrode group including electrodes electrically connected to the other ends of the third and fourth actuators. The third electrode group is arranged along one side of the driver IC, the fourth electrode group is arranged along a side different from the one side, and an area where the first and second electrode groups are arranged is situated between an area where the third electrode group is arranged and an area where the fourth electrode group is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Motonori Chikamoto
  • Patent number: 10149657
    Abstract: An on-line energy coincidence method for an all-digital PET system, comprising: a detection module conducting information collection on a scintillation pulse, forming a single event data frame and sending it to an upper computer; the upper computer conducting two-bit position distribution statistics on an incident gamma photon event and conducting position spectrum partition; performing statistics on an energy distribution spectrum of each crystal bar, so as to acquire an energy correction value; the detection module uploading a crystal bar partition data table and an energy peak correction data table; starting information collection of on-line energy correction; when an event is coming, according to a two-dimensional coordinate thereof, from the crystal partition table, searching for a crystal bar number corresponding thereto, and searching for an energy correction value from the energy correction table; and sending data passing the energy coincidence to the upper computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Raycan Technology Co., Ltd. (Suzhou)
    Inventors: Qingguo Xie, Xiaoke Wu, Jun Zhu, Ming Niu, Zhihao Hu, Luyao Wang
  • Patent number: 10144034
    Abstract: A laser-induced dispensing system for material processing is disclosed. The laser-induced dispensing system includes a fiber bundle having optical fibers. The optical fibers have first ends arranged at the first interface and second ends arranged at the second interface. Additionally, optics that direct laser beams transmitted from the second interface by the optical fibers toward a material to be deposited a substrate is provided. The optics is configured to focus the laser beams on the material to be deposited, thereby causing the material to be deposited to be released onto the substrate. Each of the optical fibers having a first end that is adjacent to a first end of another of the optical fibers at the first interface have a second end that is non-adjacent to a second end of the another of the optical fibers at the second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: IO TECH GROUP LTD.
    Inventor: Michael Zenou
  • Patent number: 10145900
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining critical operating states in a fuel cell stack, consisting of single cells connected in series, wherein a low-frequency current or voltage signal is applied to the fuel cell stack, the resulting voltage or current signal is measured and the distortion factor thd is determined. According to the invention, the weighted sum of a term dependent on the membrane resistance Rm and a term dependent on the distortion factor thd is used to determine an indicator THDAdryout correlating with the drying out of the fuel cell membranes of the fuel cell stack, the membrane resistance Rm being detected by impedance measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Prenninger, Katharina Renner