Patents by Inventor Nicholas Jon Post
Nicholas Jon Post 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).
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Publication number: 20230255701Abstract: The present teachings provide for a hand-held robotic system for use with a saw blade or other surgical tool. The hand-held robotic system also includes an instrument with a hand-held portion, a blade support coupled to the hand-held portion by a plurality of actuators, the actuators configured to move the blade support or tool support in a plurality of degrees of freedom relative to the hand-held portion. The system includes a localizer and a control system coupled to the localizer and the plurality of actuators. The control system is configured to control each of the plurality of actuators and/or the tool drive motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2021Publication date: August 17, 2023Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.Inventors: Nicholas Jon Post, Michael Dale Dozeman, Richard Thomas DeLuca, Timothy J. Bozung
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Patent number: 10327849Abstract: A robotic surgical systems and methods of operating the same are provided. The system comprises a surgical tool, a manipulator having a plurality of joints and supporting the surgical tool, and a controller. A virtual simulation represents the surgical tool as a virtual rigid body having a virtual mass including an inertia about at least one of the joints. The controller determines an expected joint torque for the joint. The expected joint torque is compared to an actual joint torque of the joint to determine a joint torque difference. The inertia of the virtual mass about the joint is determined. An angular acceleration about the joint is computed using the joint torque difference and the inertia. The angular acceleration is projected to the virtual mass to determine an external force. The controller simulates dynamics of the surgical tool in the virtual simulation in response to the external force.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.Inventor: Nicholas Jon Post
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Publication number: 20170128136Abstract: A robotic surgical systems and methods of operating the same are provided. The system comprises a surgical tool, a manipulator having a plurality of joints and supporting the surgical tool, and a controller. A virtual simulation represents the surgical tool as a virtual rigid body having a virtual mass including an inertia about at least one of the joints. The controller determines an expected joint torque for the joint. The expected joint torque is compared to an actual joint torque of the joint to determine a joint torque difference. The inertia of the virtual mass about the joint is determined. An angular acceleration about the joint is computed using the joint torque difference and the inertia. The angular acceleration is projected to the virtual mass to determine an external force. The controller simulates dynamics of the surgical tool in the virtual simulation in response to the external force.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2016Publication date: May 11, 2017Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.Inventor: Nicholas Jon Post
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Patent number: 8562108Abstract: A two pass print mode method and apparatus limits wind-related print defects produced during printing, utilizing a reciprocating carrier of a printer carrying a printhead having an array of columns of actuator-fired fluid-jetting nozzles along a bi-directional scanning path. Due to instructions from a controller, printing proceeds along an initial partial swath on a print medium during a first pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a first plurality of segments of a given column of nozzles. Then, printing proceeds along a final partial swath on the print medium during a second pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a second plurality of segments of the given column of nozzles. Each segment of nozzles of the first and second pluralities includes more than one consecutive nozzle so that gaps are created in the partial swath printing accommodating wind-related effects without causing wind-related print defects.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2012Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Eric David Langevin, Nicholas Jon Post
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Patent number: 8256875Abstract: A two pass print mode method and apparatus limits wind-related print defects produced during printing, utilizing a reciprocating carrier of a printer carrying a printhead having an array of columns of actuator-fired fluid-jetting nozzles along a bi-directional scanning path. Due to instructions from a controller, printing proceeds along an initial partial swath on a print medium during a first pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a first plurality of segments of a given column of nozzles. Then, printing proceeds along a final partial swath on the print medium during a second pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a second plurality of segments of the given column of nozzles. Each segment of nozzles of the first and second pluralities includes more than one consecutive nozzle so that gaps are created in the partial swath printing accommodating wind-related effects without causing wind-related print defects.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Eric David Langevin, Nicholas Jon Post
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Patent number: 8210629Abstract: A method of determining the state of a printhead/cartridge in a thermal inkjet printer. An inkjet printhead undergoes a jetting operation in which a jetting frequency is selected and a corresponding steady state printhead temperature is known. The printhead is heated to the steady state temperature. Then the printhead is jetted with all nozzles for a predetermined period of time. Temperature samples from the printhead are obtained and the change in the printhead temperature for a short period of time is used to determine a slope in the temperature change. From the slope of printhead temperature changes, the ink flow rate through the printhead can be determined. The flow rate of ink through the printhead can be used to determine the various states of the printhead, including out of ink, clogged, deprimed, a taped printhead, etc.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Alan Adkins, Eric David Langevin, Jason Todd McReynolds, Robert Henry Muyskens, Nicholas Jon Post, Kent Lee Ubellacker
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Publication number: 20120162297Abstract: A two pass print mode method and apparatus limits wind-related print defects produced during printing, utilizing a reciprocating carrier of a printer carrying a printhead having an array of columns of actuator-fired fluid-jetting nozzles along a bi-directional scanning path. Due to instructions from a controller, printing proceeds along an initial partial swath on a print medium during a first pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a first plurality of segments of a given column of nozzles. Then, printing proceeds along a final partial swath on the print medium during a second pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a second plurality of segments of the given column of nozzles. Each segment of nozzles of the first and second pluralities includes more than one consecutive nozzle so that gaps are created in the partial swath printing accommodating wind-related effects without causing wind-related print defects.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2012Publication date: June 28, 2012Inventors: Eric David Langevin, Nicholas Jon Post
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Patent number: 7976115Abstract: A method for determining the pulse width for driving printhead nozzles in a thermal inkjet printer. The printhead is preheated to a desired temperature during a maintenance mode. The printhead nozzle heaters are successively driven in respective heating intervals, where each successive heating interval is characterized by shorter drive pulse width pulses occurring at a higher pulse frequency. The printhead temperature data received during each heating interval is processed to determine a respective temperature slope. The temperature slopes are compared to a desired threshold temperature slope, and when a match is found, the pulse width associated with the matched temperature slope is used to drive the nozzle heaters during subsequent printer operations to print characters on a print medium.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2008Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Bruce David Gibson, Shirish Padmakar Mulay, Nicholas Jon Post, Ramkumar Singh Sankar Singh
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Publication number: 20100328373Abstract: A two pass print mode method and apparatus limits wind-related print defects produced during printing, utilizing a reciprocating carrier of a printer carrying a printhead having an array of columns of actuator-fired fluid-jetting nozzles along a bi-directional scanning path. Due to instructions from a controller, printing proceeds along an initial partial swath on a print medium during a first pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a first plurality of segments of a given column of nozzles. Then, printing proceeds along a final partial swath on the print medium during a second pass along the scanning path by firing actuators associated with a second plurality of segments of the given column of nozzles. Each segment of nozzles of the first and second pluralities includes more than one consecutive nozzle so that gaps are created in the partial swath printing accommodating wind-related effects without causing wind-related print defects.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Inventors: Eric David Langevin, Nicholas Jon Post
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Publication number: 20100295882Abstract: A method of determining the state of a printhead/cartridge in a thermal inkjet printer. An inkjet printhead undergoes a jetting operation in which a jetting frequency is selected and a corresponding steady state printhead temperature is known. The printhead is heated to the steady state temperature. Then the printhead is jetted with all nozzles for a predetermined period of time. Temperature samples from the printhead are obtained and the change in the printhead temperature for a short period of time is used to determine a slope in the temperature change. From the slope of printhead temperature changes, the ink flow rate through the printhead can be determined. The flow rate of ink through the printhead can be used to determine the various states of the printhead, including out of ink, clogged, deprimed, a taped printhead, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2009Publication date: November 25, 2010Inventors: Christopher Alan Adkins, Eric David Langevin, Jason Todd McReynolds, Robert Henry Muyskens, Nicholas Jon Post, Kent Lee Ubellacker
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Publication number: 20100165029Abstract: A method for determining the pulse width for driving printhead nozzles in a thermal inkjet printer. The printhead is preheated to a desired temperature during a maintenance mode. The printhead nozzle heaters are successively driven in respective heating intervals, where each successive heating interval is characterized by shorter drive pulse width pulses occurring at a higher pulse frequency. The printhead temperature data received during each heating interval is processed to determine a respective temperature slope.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2008Publication date: July 1, 2010Inventors: Bruce David Gibson, Shirish Padmakar Mulay, Nicholas Jon Post, Ramkumar Singh Sankar Singh