Patents by Inventor Ross B. Hooker, III

Ross B. Hooker, III 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: 4460909
    Abstract: This invention relates to enhancing the apparent resolution of electrophotographic printers. This is accomplished by writing a gray of half-tone halo along the periphery of images written on the photoconductor. When the image with its half-tone halo is developed, transferred and fixed by steps in the electrophotographic process, the printed image has a substantially smooth contour. In effect, the gray halo placed around the image merges with the black interior of the image when the image is developed, transferred and fixed. To prevent the image from appearing to be too thick after its contour has been smoothed by the use of the half-tone halo, the number of black picture elements used to write the image on the photoconductor are reduced. Also, the width of image segments making up the image may be adjusted by changing the level of gray used to write the half-tone halo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1984
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Larry W. Bassetti, Ross B. Hooker, III, Sherwood Kantor
  • Patent number: 4414583
    Abstract: In the use of a scanned light beam for optical imaging, a random motion modulation is applied to the light beam orthogonally to the scan direction to break up any unscanned or overlapped interstices between adjacent scan lines to make the interstices appear nearly invisible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1983
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ross B. Hooker, III
  • Patent number: 4321627
    Abstract: A system for reproducing the image on a document comprises a scanning system including a galvanometer driven mirror which reflects a collimated image of an illuminated band via a focusing lens system onto a line array of photosensitive elements. Relative movement between the scanning system and the document causes the scan of successive bands across the document, generating signals at the photosensitive elements that represent line image variations. The photosensitive elements are arranged in 1:1 correspondence to individual ones of a line array of ink jet printers disposed adjacent a copy document. Both the signal generating and image reproducing systems scan their associated documents in synchronism so that the image may be reproduced in direct fashion or using interleaving for higher density with given inter-element spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1982
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ross B. Hooker, III, Wilson M. Routt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4275960
    Abstract: A system is disclosed in which a light beam from a light source is scanned over the surface of a document to be copied which is located at a nominal document position within the system. Light from the light beam is retro-scattered by the document, collected by a lens system and focused upon a detector. The intensity of the light impinging upon the detector is indicative of information contained upon the portion of the surface of the document being scanned. The system further includes aperture stops for limiting the solid angle of collection of retro-scattered light from a first position beyond the nominal document position from the lens system to a first predetermined angular value and for limiting the solid angle of collection of retro-scattered light from a second position between the nominal document position and the lens system to a second predetermined angular value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1981
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Millard A. Habegger, Ross B. Hooker, III
  • Patent number: 4255042
    Abstract: Erase apparatus for use in an electrophotographic copier machine where an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are placed adjacent one end of a light channel with the other end adjacent a moving photoreceptive surface. The channel allows light rays to pass freely from LED to LED but contains the rays in a direction parallel to the direction of photoreceptor movement. The channel may be comprised of sides with reflective surfaces normal to the photoreceptive surface or may be a solid plastic sheet through which the rays pass. In the latter embodiment, rays are internally reflected from the surfaces of the plastic sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1981
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Armitage, Jr., John A. Barkley, Ross B. Hooker, III, James R. Walker