Patents by Inventor David Lynn Hall

David Lynn Hall 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: 11707800
    Abstract: A marking system for decorating one or more workpieces includes a plurality of marking stations that can mark product images on blank workpieces to produce product workpieces, at least some of which have different sizes, shapes, materials, or a combination thereof, a control system that can select one of the plurality of marking stations and send product image data to the selected one of the plurality of marking stations, and a robotic manipulator that can transport a blank workpiece to the selected marking station under the control of the robotic manipulator. The selected marking station can mark the product image the blank workpiece based on the product image data which produces a product workpiece. The robotic manipulator can remove the product workpiece from the selected one of the plurality of marking stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Shutterfly, L.L.C
    Inventors: Michael Lane Polk, David Lynn Hall
  • Publication number: 20230158603
    Abstract: A marking system for decorating one or more workpieces includes a plurality of marking stations that can mark product images on blank workpieces to produce product workpieces, at least some of which have different sizes, shapes, materials, or a combination thereof, a control system that can select one of the plurality of marking stations and send product image data to the selected one of the plurality of marking stations, and a robotic manipulator that can transport a blank workpiece to the selected marking station under the control of the robotic manipulator. The selected marking station can mark the product image the blank workpiece based on the product image data which produces a product workpiece. The robotic manipulator can remove the product workpiece from the selected one of the plurality of marking stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: Shutterfly, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Lane Polk, David Lynn Hall
  • Patent number: 11648628
    Abstract: A method for matching and tracking workpieces in laser etching operation includes generating by the computer a label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, moving a laser head to the workpiece, setting the laser head to a first power level by a power controller, etching the product image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the first power level in accordance with a product image in a pixel wise fashion across the workpiece, moving the laser head to the label by the transport mechanism, setting the laser head to a second power level by the power controller, etching the label image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the second power level in accordance with the label image in a pixel wise fashion across the label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Patent number: 11524360
    Abstract: A marking system for decorating one or more workpieces includes a plurality of marking stations that can mark product images on blank workpieces to produce product workpieces, at least some of which have different sizes, shapes, materials, or a combination thereof, a control system that can select one of the plurality of marking stations and send product image data to the selected one of the plurality of marking stations, and a robotic manipulator that can transport a blank workpiece to the selected marking station under the control of the robotic manipulator. The selected marking station can mark the product image the blank workpiece based on the product image data which produces a product workpiece. The robotic manipulator can remove the product workpiece from the selected one of the plurality of marking stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Lane Polk, David Lynn Hall
  • Publication number: 20220379407
    Abstract: A method for matching and tracking workpieces in laser etching operation includes generating by the computer a label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, moving a laser head to the workpiece, setting the laser head to a first power level by a power controller, etching the product image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the first power level in accordance with a product image in a pixel wise fashion across the workpiece, moving the laser head to the label by the transport mechanism, setting the laser head to a second power level by the power controller, etching the label image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the second power level in accordance with the label image in a pixel wise fashion across the label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Shutterfly, LLC
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Patent number: 11389904
    Abstract: A method for matching and tracking workpieces in laser etching operation includes generating by the computer a label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, moving a laser head to the workpiece, setting the laser head to a first power level by a power controller, etching the product image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the first power level in accordance with a product image in a pixel wise fashion across the workpiece, moving the laser head to the label by the transport mechanism, setting the laser head to a second power level by the power controller, etching the label image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the second power level in accordance with the label image in a pixel wise fashion across the label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Publication number: 20200331101
    Abstract: A method for matching and tracking workpieces in laser etching operation includes generating by the computer a label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, moving a laser head to the workpiece, setting the laser head to a first power level by a power controller, etching the product image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the first power level in accordance with a product image in a pixel wise fashion across the workpiece, moving the laser head to the label by the transport mechanism, setting the laser head to a second power level by the power controller, etching the label image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the second power level in accordance with the label image in a pixel wise fashion across the label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Patent number: 10703122
    Abstract: A method for matching and tracking workpieces in laser etching operation includes generating by the computer a label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, moving a laser head to the workpiece, setting the laser head to a first power level by a power controller, etching the product image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the first power level in accordance with a product image in a pixel wise fashion across the workpiece, moving the laser head to the label by the transport mechanism, setting the laser head to a second power level by the power controller, etching the label image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the second power level in accordance with the label image in a pixel wise fashion across the label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Publication number: 20200016690
    Abstract: A marking system for decorating one or more workpieces includes a plurality of marking stations that can mark product images on blank workpieces to produce product workpieces, at least some of which have different sizes, shapes, materials, or a combination thereof, a control system that can select one of the plurality of marking stations and send product image data to the selected one of the plurality of marking stations, and a robotic manipulator that can transport a blank workpiece to the selected marking station under the control of the robotic manipulator. The selected marking station can mark the product image the blank workpiece based on the product image data which produces a product workpiece. The robotic manipulator can remove the product workpiece from the selected one of the plurality of marking stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Lane Polk, David Lynn Hall
  • Publication number: 20190001723
    Abstract: A method for matching and tracking workpieces in laser etching operation includes generating by the computer a label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, moving a laser head to the workpiece, setting the laser head to a first power level by a power controller, etching the product image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the first power level in accordance with a product image in a pixel wise fashion across the workpiece, moving the laser head to the label by the transport mechanism, setting the laser head to a second power level by the power controller, etching the label image on the workpiece using a laser beam emitted from the laser head, wherein the laser beam is modulated at the second power level in accordance with the label image in a pixel wise fashion across the label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Publication number: 20170320348
    Abstract: A laser etching system for forming customized image patterns on workpieces, includes a computer that receives a product image and generates a label image, a laser head to emit a laser beam, a transport system that can scan the laser head across a workpiece or a label associated with the workpiece, a laser head driver that can modulate the laser beam in accordance to the product image or the label image that uniquely identifies the workpiece, and a power controller that can set the laser beam a first power level or a second power level. The laser head can scan across and etch the workpiece at the first power level in pixel-wise fashion to reproduce the product image on the workpiece. The laser head can scan across and etch the label at the second power level in pixel-wise fashion to reproduce the label image on the label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: David Lynn Hall, Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin