Patents by Inventor David K. Towner

David K. Towner 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: 10078216
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes: an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams; a plurality of corresponding microlenses to receive the optical beams; and a variable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the microlenses. The microlenses and variable collimator are arranged to decouple the illumination spot size of the optical beams from the illumination spot separation of the optical beams such that the illumination spot size and the illumination spot separation at a scanning surface are independently controllable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Plotkin, David K. Towner, Haim Livne, Mark Shechterman
  • Publication number: 20160223811
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, a system and a method of optical scanning independently determine illumination spot size and spacing. The apparatus includes an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams and a plurality of microlenses to receive the optical beams. The microlenses form an intermediate image of the array at substantially unity array magnification. The apparatus further includes an adjustable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the intermediate image, a beam scanner to scan the optical beams in an in-scan direction, and a scan lens to focus the scanned optical beams. An arrangement of illumination spots forms an image of the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Plotkin, David K. Towner, Haim Livne, Mark Shechterman
  • Patent number: 9348137
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, a system and a method of optical scanning independently determine illumination spot size and spacing. The apparatus includes an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams and a plurality of microlenses to receive the optical beams. The microlenses form an intermediate image of the array at substantially unity array magnification. The apparatus further includes an adjustable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the intermediate image, a beam scanner to scan the optical beams in an in-scan direction, and a scan lens to focus the scanned optical beams. An arrangement of illumination spots forms an image of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Plotkin, David K. Towner, Haim Livne, Mark Schechterman
  • Patent number: 8928720
    Abstract: Apparatus comprising a two-dimensional array of light sources (40) and a scanning device (26) arranged to scan light (14) emitted from the light sources (40) onto a medium (10) to generate a plurality of scan lines (52) on the medium (10), the light sources (24 and scanning device (26) being arranged such that a plurality of light sources (24) can be used to generate each scan line (52) of the plurality of scan lines (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David K. Towner, Michael Plotkin, Dror Kella
  • Publication number: 20140085393
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, a system and a method of optical scanning independently determine illumination spot size and spacing. The apparatus includes an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams and a plurality of microlenses to receive the optical beams. The microlenses form an intermediate image of the array at substantially unity array magnification. The apparatus further includes an adjustable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the intermediate image, a beam scanner to scan the optical beams in an in-scan direction, and a scan lens to focus the scanned optical beams. An arrangement of illumination spots forms an image of the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Plotkin, David K. Towner, Haim Livine, Mark Shechterman
  • Publication number: 20100182893
    Abstract: An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be re-written onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Daniel Y. ABRAMOVITCH, David K. TOWNER
  • Patent number: 7701836
    Abstract: An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be re-written onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel Y. Abramovitch, David K. Towner
  • Patent number: 7460146
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that dynamically correct field curvature and other focus errors in imaging systems that use rotating scanners to scan an image field. The dynamic correction controls the focusing of an image field such that focus is maintained across the width of a photosensitive element as a rotating scanner scans the field. The described systems and methods enable the use of post-objective scanning configurations in which the complexity and expense of objective lenses is significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Inventor: David K. Towner
  • Publication number: 20080278566
    Abstract: Apparatus comprising a two-dimensional array of light sources (40) and a scanning device (26) arranged to scan light (14) emitted from the light sources (40) onto a medium (10) to generate a plurality of scan lines (52) on the medium (10), the light sources (24 and scanning device (26) being arranged such that a plurality of light sources (24) can be used to generate each scan line (52) of the plurality of scan lines (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: David K. Towner, Michael Plotkin, Dror Kella
  • Patent number: 6765739
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a machine-readable medium such as a CD or a DVD disc is disclosed. The disc includes encoded copy protection data that, when decoded and re-encoded, produces a tracking prevention sequence of bits that causes a duplicate disc (containing the re-encoded copy protection data) to temporarily lose tracking. The temporary loss of tracking is utilized to render the duplicated disc unusable by placing key data immediately following the encoded copy protection data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Josh N. Hogan, David K. Towner
  • Publication number: 20030174427
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a machine-readable medium such as a CD or a DVD disc is disclosed. The disc includes encoded copy protection data that, when decoded and re-encoded, produces a tracking prevention sequence of bits that causes a duplicate disc (containing the re-encoded copy protection data) to temporarily lose tracking. The temporary loss of tracking is utilized to render the duplicated disc unusable by placing key data immediately following the encoded copy protection data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Josh N. Hogan, David K. Towner
  • Publication number: 20030099007
    Abstract: A method of varying gloss in hard copy output from a hard copy output engine includes providing a user with a user-adjustable control for varying hard copy output gloss and varying at least one processing parameter in producing the hard copy output in response to user adjustment of the user-adjustable control to provide a first user-selected gloss level over a first portion of a page of hard copy output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Inventors: David K. Towner, Ben B. Tyson, Laurent A. Regimbal, Lori Clifton
  • Patent number: 6559878
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for fusing toner to a print medium. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a laser source optically coupled to a predefined position in a print medium pathway. A laser beam generated by the laser source is directed to fall upon the print medium shuttled along the print medium pathway. Finally, a laser controller is coupled to the laser source to control the laser beam to generate a predefined fusing exposure of the laser beam on the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co., L.P.
    Inventors: George V. McIlvaine, Laurent A. Regimbal, David K. Towner
  • Patent number: 6536907
    Abstract: Optical projection systems for the display of electronic images often suffer from degraded image quality due to color field registration errors caused by lateral chromatic aberration. Although most projection lenses are partially corrected for lateral chromatic aberration during the design process, the uncorrected residual aberration limits the imaging performance of many projection displays, especially when displaying text and graphics with single-pixel-wide features. Some embodiments of the invention correct color field registration errors due to lateral chromatic aberration in multiple-imager projection systems. Other embodiments of the invention correct radial distortion and keystone distortion in single-imager and multiple-imager projection displays. In some embodiments of the invention, the imager(s) pixel geometry is arranged to compensate for optical aberrations, which result from the optical system so as to achieve a corrected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David K. Towner, Mark Butterworth
  • Publication number: 20020075376
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for fusing toner to a print medium. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a laser source optically coupled to a predefined position in a print medium pathway. A laser beam generated by the laser source is directed to fall upon the print medium shuttled along the print medium pathway. Finally, a laser controller is coupled to the laser source to control the laser beam to generate a predefined fusing exposure of the laser beam on the print medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: George V. Mcllvaine, Laurent A. Regimbal, David K. Towner
  • Patent number: 6046968
    Abstract: An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be rewritten onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Daniel Y. Abramovitch, David K. Towner
  • Patent number: 6046969
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a write clock for writing data along servo tracks of an erasable/rewriteable optical disk utilize clock patterns that correspond on a one-to-one basis to designated data zones on an optical disk. The clock patterns are located in one or more clock tracks and are dedicated to providing reference clock information. In one embodiment, an optical disk is divided radially into constant angular velocity (CAV) data zones and corresponding circular clock tracks are located near the outer edge of the disk. The circular clock tracks correspond on a one-to-one basis to the CAV data zones, and the unique clock patterns within the clock tracks are utilized to generate write clock signals. Clock information is read by a dedicated reference clock transducer and data is written to and read from a servo track of an optical disk by a read/write transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: David K. Towner, Josh N. Hogan
  • Patent number: RE41881
    Abstract: An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be rewritten onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel Y. Abramovitch, David K. Towner
  • Patent number: RE43788
    Abstract: An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be re-written onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel Y. Abramovitch, David K. Towner
  • Patent number: RE45292
    Abstract: An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be rewritten onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel Y. Abramovitch, David K. Towner