Patents by Inventor Joel D. DeCaro

Joel D. DeCaro 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: 6704127
    Abstract: The present invention provides for an imaging device such as a scanner or printer. The imaging device includes a unique media gate arrangement in which each of the media gates is positioned along the same optical axis. This provides for a gate arrangement in which media of a first format will be conveyed across one of the gates and media of a second format will be conveyed across a second one of the gates. With the arrangement of the present invention it is not necessary to change a media gate based on the format of the film or media used, since the media gates based are positioned along the same optical axis and are positioned such that the light beam passes through both gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Clayton G. Johnson, John E. Mooney, Joel D. Decaro, David J. Nelson
  • Patent number: 6323966
    Abstract: An apparatus and light conduit for scanning a media which uses a low light illumination system for providing an exposure light for illuminating a media on to a sensor for capturing images on the media. A gate assembly slidably is mounted to the apparatus. A light conduit is mounted to the clamp member and has an outwardly extending lip about one opening at one end which mates with a channel provided in the illumination system. The conduit is provided with a reflective surface to improve the efficient use of the available light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joel D. DeCaro, Clayton G. Johnson, Thomas W. Mort
  • Patent number: 6292276
    Abstract: An apparatus for scanning a media which uses a low light illumination system for providing an exposure light for illuminating a media on to a sensor for capturing images on the media. A gate assembly slidably mounted to the apparatus which includes a clamp member moveably mounted to the film gate between an exposure position and a non-exposure position, and a light conduit mounted to the clamp member. The light conduit has an outwardly extending lip about one opening at one end which mates with a channel provided in the illumination system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joel D. DeCaro, Clayton G. Johnson, Thomas W. Mort
  • Patent number: 6191872
    Abstract: An illuminator and a scanner incorporating such an illuminator. In one embodiment, the illuminator has a plurality of arrays of semiconductor light emitting elements, each array having a different integrated spectral output, and a plurality of respective different interference filters each positioned between a corresponding array and the media holder. A media holder holds a media carrying an image for scanning, the media holder being positioned to receive filtered light from the illuminator. A sensor is positioned to receive light from the media holder so as to generate an image signal corresponding to an image on a media positioned at the media holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joel D. DeCaro, Mark E. Shafer
  • Patent number: 6088054
    Abstract: A film scanner is disclosed including an image sensor moveable to a scan position for scanning image frames of an elongated film having a series of edge perforations including a reference perforation for each image frame. The film scanner further includes an intermittent film transport mechanism for moving an image frame to a scanning position, and a sensor transport assembly mounted relative to the intermittent film transport mechanism and moveable in hop and weave directions. The sensor transport assembly includes a structure for mounting the image sensor for movement in the hop and weave directions, a detector mounted relative to the image sensor for detecting the reference perforation and for producing hop and weave signals, and circuitry responsive to the hop and weave signals to move the sensor transport assembly in the hop and weave directions to align the detector over the reference perforation, so that the image sensor is aligned with the image frame so that the image frame can be scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James R. Koudelka, Andrea S. Rivers, Joel D. DeCaro, Jeffery R. Hawver
  • Patent number: 5982957
    Abstract: A scanner has a sensor assembly having a sensor to receive light from an image, and which assembly generates an image signal corresponding to the image, which image signal has a plurality of color channel components representative of different spectral regions. A media holder holds a media carrying the image. An illuminator to illuminate the image of a held media such that light from the image falls on the sensor. The illuminator has a plurality of sets of light emitting elements to provide illumination in all of the spectral regions, each set having a different spectral output with at least a first set having plural sub-sets of different spectral output within a first one of the spectral region represented by the color channels, the number of different spectral output elements being greater than the number of color channels. The illuminator also has an integrator between the array and the media holder so as to improve uniformity of the illumination from the illuminator which illuminates the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joel D. DeCaro, Mark E. Shafer