Patents by Inventor Brian Lester

Brian Lester 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: 11451231
    Abstract: Techniques for implementing robust quantum logic gates are provided and described. In some aspects, a quantum logic gate between a plurality of cavities comprising a first cavity and a second cavity is implemented by performing a first beam splitter operation between the first cavity and the second cavity using a coupling transmon that is dispersively coupled to both the first cavity and the second cavity, and performing a controlled phase shift operation between the second cavity and an ancilla transmon that is dispersively coupled to the second cavity but not dispersively coupled to the first cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Yale University
    Inventors: Liang Jiang, Steven M. Girvin, Brian Lester, Yvonne Gao, Robert J. Schoelkopf, III
  • Patent number: 11402770
    Abstract: A toner sealing system is described including a seal having first and second alignment features. The seal is selectably installable on one of a first toner container of a first type and a second toner container of a second type. The first alignment feature is matable with a first corresponding alignment feature on the first toner container when the seal is installed on the first toner container for aligning the seal to the first toner container. The second alignment feature is matable with a second corresponding alignment feature on the second toner container when the seal is installed on the second toner container for aligning the seal to the second toner container. Embodiments include those wherein the first alignment feature does not align the seal to the second toner container, and the second alignment feature does not align the seal to the first toner container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, David Lee Merrifield
  • Publication number: 20220236665
    Abstract: An assembly for use in an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. The housing includes a wall having an inner surface forming a boundary of the reservoir and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A toner agitator is positioned in the reservoir and has a rotatable shaft. The shaft includes an end portion that passes through an opening in the wall. A gear is mounted on the end portion of the shaft outside of the reservoir and is rotatably coupled to the shaft. An annular seal encircles and is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. The annular seal is positioned between an inner axial face of the gear and the outer surface of the wall. The inner axial face of the gear contacts the annular seal and presses the annular seal against the outer surface of the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, BRIAN LEE HAWES, DAVID LEE MERRIFIELD
  • Patent number: 11327431
    Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a photoconductive drum and a boss that protrudes outward from a first longitudinal end of the toner cartridge at a rotational axis of the photoconductive drum. An outermost axial segment of the boss along the rotational axis includes a partial cylinder having a cross-sectional shape of a circular segment. An outer circumferential surface of the partial cylinder is convex to a bottom of the toner cartridge and forms a bottom contact surface of the boss that is unobstructed to contact and sit in a corresponding V-block in an image forming device when the toner cartridge is installed in the image forming device. The outermost axial segment of the boss includes clearance above a topmost portion of the partial cylinder and within the radius of the outer circumferential surface of the partial cylinder permitting the clearance to accommodate one or more features in the image forming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher
  • Patent number: 11327417
    Abstract: An assembly for use in an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. The housing includes a wall having an inner surface forming a boundary of the reservoir and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A toner agitator is positioned in the reservoir and has a rotatable shaft. The shaft includes an end portion that passes through an opening in the wall. A gear is mounted on the end portion of the shaft outside of the reservoir and is rotatably coupled to the shaft. An annular seal encircles and is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. The annular seal is positioned between an inner axial face of the gear and the outer surface of the wall. The inner axial face of the gear contacts the annular seal and presses the annular seal against the outer surface of the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes, David Lee Merrifield
  • Patent number: 11221582
    Abstract: A system for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a basket having a first side, a second side and a plurality of positioning slots extending between the first side and the second side, each positioning slot is configured to receive a corresponding toner cartridge. Each positioning slot includes a first latch at the first side of the basket and a second latch at the second side of the basket. Each of the first and second latches is independently pivotable between a latched position for applying a hold-down force on a respective end portion of a corresponding toner cartridge positioned in a corresponding positioning slot of the plurality of positioning slots to rigidly hold the corresponding toner cartridge against datums of the basket and an unlatched position to release the corresponding toner cartridge permitting removal of the corresponding toner cartridge from the basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Allen Blair, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, Jie Chen, Benjamin Charles Devore, Darin Michael Gettelfinger
  • Patent number: 11194286
    Abstract: A system for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a basket insertable into and extendable out of the image forming device. The basket includes a plurality of positioning slots each configured to receive a corresponding toner cartridge of a plurality of toner cartridges. The basket includes a cartridge latching assembly configured to apply a hold-down force on each toner cartridge to rigidly hold each toner cartridge against corresponding datums of the basket. A basket latching assembly in the image forming device is configured to apply a hold-down force on the basket when the basket is inserted into the image forming device to rigidly hold the basket against corresponding datums of the image forming device for positioning the plurality of toner cartridges in respective operational positions within the image forming device with only the cartridge latching assembly of the basket directly applying hold-down forces on the plurality of toner cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Allen Blair, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, Jie Chen, Benjamin Charles Devore, Darin Michael Gettelfinger, Michael James Shanor, Christopher Kent Washing
  • Publication number: 20210333744
    Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. A first latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a first longitudinal end of the housing and a second latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a second longitudinal end of the housing. Contact surfaces on top portions of the first and second latch-receiving shelves are positioned to contact corresponding first and second latches in an image forming device. The contact surface of the first latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than a first rotational axis of a first drive coupler of the toner cartridge and higher than a second drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The contact surface of the second latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than at least a portion of a first electrical contact of the toner cartridge and higher than at least a portion of a second electrical contact of the toner cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: MARK WILLIAM AMANN, BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, JAMES ANTHANY CARTER, II
  • Patent number: 11150579
    Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a developer roll and a toner adder roll. First and second drive gears are rotatably connected to and coaxial with the developer roll and toner adder roll, respectively. The toner cartridge includes a drive coupler exposed to receive rotational motion when the toner cartridge is installed in an image forming device. Gear teeth of the first drive gear are directly meshed with gear teeth of the drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The second drive gear is rotatably connected to the drive coupler through a pair of idler gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Abler, Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes
  • Patent number: 11126138
    Abstract: An assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing and a rotatable component. A bushing has an opening defined by an inner circumferential surface of the bushing. A shaft of the rotatable component is received in the opening such that the inner circumferential surface rotatably supports the shaft. A first mating feature is positioned on an outer surface of the bushing that is opposite the inner circumferential surface of the bushing. The first mating feature is positioned between an inner axial end of the bushing and an outer axial end of the bushing relative to a rotational axis of the rotatable component. The first mating feature of the bushing is in contact with a second mating feature on the housing. Contact between the first and second mating features defines an axial position of the bushing relative to the housing along the rotational axis of the rotatable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Lester Boettcher, Brian Lee Hawes
  • Publication number: 20210272006
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for performing non-classical computations. The methods and systems generally use a plurality of spatially distinct optical trapping sites to trap a plurality of atoms, one or more electromagnetic delivery units to apply electromagnetic energy to one or more atoms of the plurality to induce the atoms to adopt one or more superposition states of a first atomic state and a second atomic state, one or more entanglement units to quantum mechanically entangle at least a subset of the one or more atoms in the one or more superposition states with at least another atom of the plurality, and one or more readout optical units to perform measurements of the superposition states to obtain the non-classical computation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Jonathan KING, Benjamin BLOOM, Brian LESTER
  • Publication number: 20210255581
    Abstract: A system for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a basket having a first side, a second side and a plurality of positioning slots extending between the first side and the second side, each positioning slot is configured to receive a corresponding toner cartridge. Each positioning slot includes a first latch at the first side of the basket and a second latch at the second side of the basket. Each of the first and second latches is independently pivotable between a latched position for applying a hold-down force on a respective end portion of a corresponding toner cartridge positioned in a corresponding positioning slot of the plurality of positioning slots to rigidly hold the corresponding toner cartridge against datums of the basket and an unlatched position to release the corresponding toner cartridge permitting removal of the corresponding toner cartridge from the basket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: MARK WILLIAM AMANN, BRIAN ALLEN BLAIR, BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, JAMES ANTHANY CARTER, II, JIE CHEN, BENJAMIN CHARLES DEVORE, DARIN MICHAEL GETTELFINGER
  • Publication number: 20210255580
    Abstract: A system for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a basket insertable into and extendable out of the image forming device. The basket includes a plurality of positioning slots each configured to receive a corresponding toner cartridge of a plurality of toner cartridges. The basket includes a cartridge latching assembly configured to apply a hold-down force on each toner cartridge to rigidly hold each toner cartridge against corresponding datums of the basket. A basket latching assembly in the image forming device is configured to apply a hold-down force on the basket when the basket is inserted into the image forming device to rigidly hold the basket against corresponding datums of the image forming device for positioning the plurality of toner cartridges in respective operational positions within the image forming device with only the cartridge latching assembly of the basket directly applying hold-down forces on the plurality of toner cartridges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: MARK WILLIAM AMANN, BRIAN ALLEN BLAIR, BRIAN LESTER BOETTCHER, JAMES ANTHANY CARTER, II, JIE CHEN, BENJAMIN CHARLES DEVORE, DARIN MICHAEL GETTELFINGER, MICHAEL JAMES SHANOR, CHRISTOPHER KENT WASHING
  • Patent number: 11086268
    Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. A first latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a first longitudinal end of the housing and a second latch-receiving shelf is positioned on a second longitudinal end of the housing. Contact surfaces on top portions of the first and second latch-receiving shelves are positioned to contact corresponding first and second latches in an image forming device. The contact surface of the first latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than a first rotational axis of a first drive coupler of the toner cartridge and higher than a second drive coupler of the toner cartridge. The contact surface of the second latch-receiving shelf is positioned lower than at least a portion of a first electrical contact of the toner cartridge and higher than at least a portion of a second electrical contact of the toner cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II
  • Patent number: D929496
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, David Lee Merrifield, Jay Scott Siekmann
  • Patent number: D933124
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, Jay Scott Siekmann
  • Patent number: D934339
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher
  • Patent number: D934340
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, Brian Lee Hawes, David Lee Merrifield, Jay Scott Siekmann
  • Patent number: D936137
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher, James Anthany Carter, II, Jay Scott Siekmann
  • Patent number: D941389
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark William Amann, Brian Lester Boettcher