Responsive To Condition Patents (Class 347/14)
  • Patent number: 11964489
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, a conveyor belt that has a plurality of apertures and conveys recording media one by one, a control unit, an ink receiver, and a pipe-shaped ink discharge flow path. The control unit controls drive of the recording head and the conveyor belt to perform flushing, in which the ink is ejected from the nozzle of the recording head to pass through one of the apertures, at a timing different from a timing contributing to image recording. The ink receiver is disposed to face the recording head sandwiching the conveyor belt therebetween, to receive the ink after passing through the aperture when the flushing is performed. The ink discharge flow path is connected to the ink receiver. When the flushing is performed, a predetermined amount of liquid is stored in the ink receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Somete, Chikara Ishihara, Noriaki Furukawa, Takuma Araki, Jun Nakano, Hiroomi Nakatsuji, Issei Nakano
  • Patent number: 11958289
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head control circuit controls a liquid ejecting head and a switching circuit. The liquid ejecting head control circuit includes a drive signal output circuit, and a switching control circuit. The switching control circuit outputs an ejection control signal defining an amount of a liquid to be ejected from a nozzle, a switching timing signal defining switching timing of the switching circuit, and a state selection signal defining a state of the switching circuit in a control period defined by the switching timing signal. The state selection signal for a first time period for which the liquid ejecting head is controlled so as to eject the liquid from the nozzle is different from the state selection signal for a second time period for which the liquid ejecting head is controlled so as not to eject the liquid from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sukehiro Ito
  • Patent number: 11951752
    Abstract: A controller includes a print controller configured to cause the print execution engine to convey the print medium in a conveying direction and execute a plurality of partial printings. The print controller causes the print execution engine to execute first and second partial printings. On a print medium, first and second target ranges on which printing is to be performed by the first and second partial printings, respectively, form an overlapping range. The first and second target ranges include first and second non-overlapping ranges, respectively, that do not overlap the second and first target ranges, respectively. The print controller generates print data based on non-overlapping range data and overlapping range data. The generating the print data includes increasing a density of at least a portion of the image to be printed in the overlapping range as compared with a density of the images to be printed in the non-overlapping ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 11945219
    Abstract: In a printing method, at least one image of a substrate supported in a printing system is acquired. An actual position of a first alignment feature on the substrate in a frame of reference of the printing system is determined based on the at least one image. Expected positions of second alignment features on the substrate are determined based on the actual position of the first alignment feature. Actual positions of the second alignment features in the frame of reference of the printing system are determined based on the at least one image and the expected positions of the second alignment features. Target positions of print regions on the substrate are determined based on the actual positions of the second alignment features. Ejection of print material onto the substrate in the print regions is controlled based on the target positions of the print regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher R. Hauf, Eli Vronsky, Alexander Sou-Kang Ko
  • Patent number: 11947853
    Abstract: A print system including a printing apparatus and an inspection apparatus, the printing apparatus obtains, from a print job, image data to be used for printing, registers in the inspection apparatus the image data as a reference image, in response to completion of registration of the reference image in the inspection apparatus, executes printing on a sheet based on the print job, and notifies the inspection apparatus of an instruction for inspecting the sheet on which printing has been performed. The inspection apparatus registers the image data received from the printing apparatus as the reference image, and in response to the instruction for inspecting, inspects the sheet on which the printing has been performed in the printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Mutsuno
  • Patent number: 11945240
    Abstract: A method of printing on an inkjet printer including a plurality of overlapping jetting modules includes analyzing image data within a stitch area to designate white pixels and non-white pixels. For rows where the stitch area includes white pixels, a hard stitch boundary is defined within the stitch area where image pixels to the left of the hard stitch boundary are to be printed using a left jetting module and image pixels to the right of the hard stitch boundary are to be printed using a right jetting module. For image regions where the rows of image pixels within the stitch area include only non-white pixels, a soft-stitching path is defined through the image region, and a fading function is used to gradually transition from printing image pixels with the left jetting module to printing image pixels with the right jetting module in a transition zone around the soft-stitching path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Manfred L. Holl, Rainer Kuessel, Andreas Weiser
  • Patent number: 11932015
    Abstract: A print head includes a generation portion that amplifies an input signal to generate a drive signal, an ejection portion that includes a first driving element driven by a drive signal, and ejects a liquid in response to the drive of the first driving element, a supply portion that includes a first switch for switching between supply and non-supply of the drive signal to the first driving element, and a sound emitting portion that includes a second driving element driven by the drive signal, and a second switch for switching between supply and non-supply of the drive signal to the second driving element, and emits sound in response to the drive of the second driving element, in which the first switch and the second switch are turned on exclusively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Nakano, Masahiro Toki, Tatsuya Sato, Shunsuke Kasai
  • Patent number: 11935615
    Abstract: A sample and hold scheme for temperature measurements for non-volatile memory can enable significant reduction in temperature readout latency. In one example thermometer circuits are enabled at a refresh rate to cause the temperature to be sensed and latched at regular intervals. By performing the temperature readings in the background at a refresh rate instead of on-demand, the temperature is available to service commands with almost no latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaojiang Guo, Weihua Shi
  • Patent number: 11919299
    Abstract: A droplet discharge apparatus includes a plurality of dischargers and a control device. The plurality of dischargers discharge droplets. The control device acquires characteristic values of end portions of areas on which the droplets discharged by the plurality of dischargers land, from a measurement of the end portions. The control device adjusts the plurality of dischargers such that a difference between the characteristic values is within a range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Takaki
  • Patent number: 11919296
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a head including a plurality of nozzles configured to discharge liquid to a medium, an abnormal nozzle detection unit configured to detect an abnormal nozzle having a discharging defect among the plurality of nozzles, a contact detection unit configured to detect contact between the head and the medium, a suction unit configured to perform an ejection operation of ejecting the liquid from the plurality of nozzles, and a control unit. The control unit executes a suction operation when the abnormal nozzle is detected and the contact between the head and the medium is detected, and the control unit executes a printing of complementing the abnormal nozzle when the abnormal nozzle is detected and the contact between the head and the medium is not detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Yamazaki, Tomohiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 11919301
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes ejecting sections that eject droplets from nozzles according with a driving signal supplied thereto. The driving signal includes a plurality of ejection pulses during one cycle. The plurality of ejection pulses includes a final ejection pulse corresponding to a final droplet. The final ejection pulse includes an expansion element that expands a pressure chamber, an expansion-maintaining element that maintains the expansion of the pressure chamber, a contraction element that contracts the pressure chamber, and a vibration-damping element that reduces residual vibration of liquid in the pressure chamber. The time width of the sum of the expansion element and the expansion-maintaining element of the final ejection pulse is longer than a length that is 0.5 multiplied by the natural-vibration cycle of the ejecting sections, and is shorter than a length that is 1.0 multiplied by the natural-vibration cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Hashimoto, Ryosuke Tsuchihashi
  • Patent number: 11912045
    Abstract: A method of operating a printer evaluates the effect of printing a print job with two different orientations of the image content data for the print job. The orientation that produces the least increase in the cross-process direction displacement error for the inkjets in the printer is selected for printing the print job. By attenuating the increase in cross-process direction displacement error, the interval between printhead maintenance operations is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jason M. LeFevre, Seemit Praharaj, Douglas K. Herrmann, Chu-Heng Liu, Jorge A. Alvarez
  • Patent number: 11914319
    Abstract: A digital printing system incorporating in-track position corrections includes one or more printing subsystems, a data processing system; and a digital memory for storing a representation of an in-track position correction function, wherein the in-track position correction function is a non-linear function that specifies in-track position corrections to be applied as a function of cross-track position, and wherein the representation of the in-track position correction function includes the cross-track positions and transition direction of transitions in the in-track position correction function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11915068
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor of a pretreatment information generation device that generates pretreatment information to be used in pretreatment on a recording medium by a pretreatment device. The computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform processes including receiving image data to be printed on the recording medium, and identifying the pretreatment information to perform the pretreatment with respect to the received image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuichi Tamaki, Takeshi Watanabe, Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 11886943
    Abstract: A printing unit that prints an inspection image, a reading unit that reads the inspection image printed by the printing unit, and an analysis unit that performs analyzation based on a reading result read by the reading unit are provided. The inspection image includes an inspection pattern of a plurality of colors, the inspection pattern including a first position detection mark printed in a first color, a second position detection mark printed in the first color, and a second color inspection pattern printed in a second color different from the first color, the printing unit prints the second color inspection pattern at a position adjacent to the first position detection mark, and the analysis unit specifies a first position of the first position detection mark in a first region, and specifies a second position of the second position detection mark in a second region smaller than the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masaya Usui
  • Patent number: 11878535
    Abstract: A cartridge includes: a liquid containing body including a liquid containing portion containing the liquid and a liquid supply portion; and an adapter attached to the liquid containing body and including a terminal arrangement portion which is located on one end side of the adapter in a longitudinal direction and in which a cartridge-side terminal electrically coupled to the apparatus-side terminal is arranged, and an insertion opening portion through which the liquid introduction portion is inserted, in which the adapter has a notch located between the terminal arrangement portion and the insertion opening portion in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Nagashima, Yoshihiro Koizumi, Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 11872811
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to a method to manage printhead operational life; the method comprising firing at least one nozzle of a printhead according to an associated firing parameter to produce a respective drop of print liquid, measuring a parameter associated with the drop of print liquid, and adjusting the firing parameter in response to the measuring to reduce the measured parameter associated with the drop of print liquid on a subsequent firing while maintaining the firing parameter at or above a predetermined parameter limit to maintain print image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Developmen Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Antonio Gracia Verdugo, Andreu Vinets Alonso, Andrei Alexandru Dafinoiu
  • Patent number: 11860180
    Abstract: A removable maintenance fluid holder for a digital dispense system, a digital dispense system containing the removable maintenance fluid holder, and a method of maintaining a fluid droplet dispense cartridge. The removable maintenance fluid holder includes a housing having a handle end and a fluid receptacle end distal from the handle end. The fluid receptable end includes a fluid receptacle for holding fluid dispensed from a fluid droplet ejection head of a fluid droplet cartridge in the digital dispense system. The removable maintenance fluid holder is configured to be inserted and removed from the digital dispense system on a periodic basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventors: Bruce A. Deboard, Brian T. Jones, Michael A. Marra, III, Sam Norasak
  • Patent number: 11850847
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a head that ejects ink toward a recording medium transported by a transport unit, and an ejection controller that causes the head to eject ink. The ejection controller is configured to perform process including: process of calculating a transport speed of the recording medium; process of generating reference timing of ejection of ink by the head; process of determining a target delay amount by which timing of ejection of ink by the head is delayed from the reference timing on the basis of a transport speed coinciding with the reference timing; process of updating a target delay amount, on the occurrence of change in the transport speed before the recording medium is transported by a distance corresponding to the target delay amount, the target delay amount being updated in response to the transport speed as changed; and process of delaying timing of ejection of ink by the head on the basis of the target delay amount as updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyasu Okushima, Ippei Matsumoto, Yuta Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11840101
    Abstract: A plurality of test patterns are printed with different print conditions, the test patterns each being formed by two inks out of a plurality of inks and a reaction liquid and including a plurality of patterns among which ejection positions of the reaction liquid relative to ejection positions of the two inks are displaced by a predetermined amount at a time. The optical properties of the respective test patterns printed on the print medium are detected. A displacement amount of the relative ejection positions of the reaction liquid from the ejection positions of the plurality of inks is obtained based on the optical property of the test pattern in which an optical density difference between the patterns in the test pattern is greater than a predetermined value and which has an optical density of a lowest level among the optical properties of the test patterns detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Ushiyama, Hidehiko Kanda, Keiji Kuriyama, Akihiro Tomida, Takeshi Yazawa, Yoshinori Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11833839
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus that generates overcoat transfer data for transferring an overcoat onto an image formed on a recording sheet, generates a line image to be added to the overcoat, and converts the line image into a drawing part to be added to the overcoat. The drawing part includes an outline part and an area inside the outline part, the outline part is formed from pixels having a first glossiness, the area inside the outline part is formed as a mixed pattern part in which pixels having the first glossiness and pixels having a second glossiness higher than the first glossiness are mixed, and the area outside the outline part is formed from pixels having the second glossiness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11827512
    Abstract: Examples include a fluidic die. The fluidic die comprises an array of field effect transistors including field effect transistors of a first size and field effect transistors of a second size. At least one connecting member interconnects at least some of the field effect transistors of the array of field effect transistors. The fluidic die further comprises a first fluid actuator connected to a first set of field effect transistors having at least one field effect transistor of the first size. The die includes a second fluid actuator connected to a second respective set of field effect transistors having a first respective field effect transistor of the second size interconnected to at least one other field effect transistor of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Martin, Rogelio Cicili, Tsuyoshi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11820133
    Abstract: An image processing method, an apparatus, a program, and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing an artifact in a boundary part of a threshold value matrix and performing high-quality correction even in a case where defective recording elements are concentrated are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shibata
  • Patent number: 11822832
    Abstract: Techniques for operating a digital printer that includes a media transport and an electronic imager disposed in a path of the media transport are presented. The techniques include: receiving an electronic image of a media sheet obtained by the electronic imager; identifying, from the electronic image of the media sheet, a print-prohibited region of the media sheet; generating a mask representing the print-prohibited region of the media sheet; and electronically storing in electronic persistent memory, in association with an identification of a type of the media sheet, a template comprising information regarding the media sheet type, where the template includes an identification of the print-prohibited region represented by the mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew J. Ochs, Elizabeth L. Barrese, Dara N. Lubin, Ron Edward Dufort, Elizabeth Crossen
  • Patent number: 11809760
    Abstract: When a printing interruption cause occurs during printing of an image on a printing medium, printing of a page being printed is completed, and further only a position mark is printed on a printing resumption page. Then, a printing unit is stopped, and a conveyance speed is decelerated to stop conveyance of the printing medium. Next, the printing medium is rewound so that printing is resumed from the printing resumption page. Thereafter, the conveyance speed is accelerated to a predetermined speed, and printing is resumed from the printing resumption page on which the position mark is printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Takahashi, Tetsuya Ishida
  • Patent number: 11805217
    Abstract: An image recording device comprises a conveyance mechanism, a head, a sensor configured to detect a position of an orthogonal edge of recording medium in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction, and a controller. The controller tentatively determines, for each of a plurality of unit areas aligned in the conveyance direction on the recording medium, a recording position of an image for the unit area based on image data and a size of the recording medium, derives a correction amount for the tentatively determined recording position, and determines whether the correction amount exceeds a first upper limit for each unit area. When it is determined that the correction amount does not exceed the first upper limit, the controller determines the recording position based on the correction amount, and causes the head to record an image at the recording position determined in the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 11801688
    Abstract: A recording control device. A first portion control section forms a first portion as a portion that is continuous from a first region and is not continuous to a second region in a recording region in an output image that is formed on a medium in an overlapping region in a recording region, in such a manner that a use rate of a first nozzle row of an overlapping portion of a nozzle row is set to a first nozzle use rate. A second portion control section forms a second portion as a portion that is continuous with the first region and the second region in the output image in the overlapping region, in such a manner that the use rate of the first nozzle row of the overlapping portion is set to the second nozzle use rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eishin Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 11790200
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus, a method of discharging liquid, and a recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the method. The liquid discharge apparatus and the method includes obtaining image data to be printed, performing dithering to achieve masking and halftone processing on the image data to generate print data, and controlling movement of a discharge head and discharge of ink based on the print data. The controlling includes increasing a ratio of a number of ink dots continuously discharged onto a recording medium in a grayscale on a shadow side to a total number of ink dots discharged onto the recording medium in one-time scanning by the discharge head in one line to be greater than a ratio of a number of ink dots continuously discharged onto the recording medium in a grayscale on a highlight side to the total number of ink dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenta Takahashi, Daiki Marumo, Hironobu Murai
  • Patent number: 11791897
    Abstract: A detection unit detecting adjustment patterns formed by a discharging head discharging color ink on a medium is provided, in which the detection unit includes a light emitting unit irradiating the medium with visible light, a light receiving unit receiving reflected light of the visible light, and at least one filter disposed on an optical path from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit, and configured to attenuate an amount of light, and the filter, when a first absorption bandwidth is a wavelength range centered at a peak wavelength of an absorption wavelength in an absorption spectrum of a color of ink used to form the adjustment patterns and a first emission bandwidth is a wavelength range, corresponding to the first absorption bandwidth, of an emission spectrum of the visible light, is attenuated the visible light having a wavelength in an outside range of the first emission bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: So Yokota
  • Patent number: 11775230
    Abstract: Provided is technology by which an information processing device having an OS standard general-purpose print program installed therein reduces unevenness in print quality due to a printer-specific characteristic. According to an auxiliary program available for printing using a printer connected to a PC, the PC acquires characteristic data indicative of a characteristic specific to the printer from the printer, and stores the acquired characteristic data in a memory. Further, when a print instruction for causing the printer to execute printing of an image is sent to a general-purpose print program installed in advance in an OS, the PC generates corrected print data corrected based on the characteristic data stored in the memory, for an image that is a print target of the print instruction, and outputs the generated corrected print data such that the generated corrected print data is transmitted from the PC to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshito Hosomizo
  • Patent number: 11772394
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a platen to hold a medium; a liquid discharge head to discharge a liquid onto the medium on the platen according to discharge instruction information containing a type of the platen as a designated platen type; an operation panel to display a selection operation screen in which a type of the platen is selectable from the multiple platen types as a selected platen type; and circuitry to: control the operation panel to display the selection operation screen; determine whether the selected platen type matches a first specific platen type; determine whether the designated platen type matches a second specific platen type; control the operation panel to display warning in response to a determination; and control the liquid discharge head to continue to discharge the liquid in response to a determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Yoshigai
  • Patent number: 11752764
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus is configure to drive nozzles with drive waveforms with which timing of discharge pulses fall within a range where a condition |A?C|<|B?D| is satisfied, where “A” is a discharge velocity of a droplet having a first size when drive units are driven to discharge a droplet having the first size, “B” is a discharge velocity of a droplet having a second size larger than the first size when drive units are driven to discharge a droplet having the second size, “C” is a discharge velocity of a droplet having the first size when drive units are driven to discharge droplets having the first size and the second size, and “D” is a discharge velocity of a droplet having the second size when drive units are driven to discharge droplets having the second size and the first size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kohta Akiyama
  • Patent number: 11754483
    Abstract: A method of obtaining a numerical model is disclosed. The numerical model correlates estimated line width values to minimum pressure for gas bubble generation (MPGBG) values. An MPGBG value of each capillary tube in the reference group is measured for a liquid. A nanoparticle composition is deposited, under standard conditions, on substrate(s) from each respective reference capillary tube, to form nanoparticle lines. A line width of each of the nanoparticle lines deposited using each respective reference capillary tube is measured by a microscope apparatus. A numerical model that correlates estimated line width values to MPGBG values for the liquid is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: XTPL S.A.
    Inventors: Szymon Zieba, Maciej Tybel, Piotr Kowalczewski, Filip Granek
  • Patent number: 11752789
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a head to discharge liquid, a carriage to support the head and reciprocate in a forward direction and a backward direction, and a controller. The controller executes a printing process to print one image in a plurality of copies by discharging the liquid from the head while moving the carriage in the forward direction and the backward direction, based on a print job for printing the one image in the plurality of copies, and a first determining process to determine a moving direction of the carriage for second and following copies, based on a moving result of the carriage in printing for the first copy in the printing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 11718109
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a decision unit, a determination unit, and a change unit. The acquisition unit acquires a measurement result regarding a printing medium characteristic value. The decision unit decides a candidate for a printing medium type based on the acquired measurement result, and a reference characteristic value of each of printing media types set in advance to identify a type of the measured printing medium. Information associated with the printing medium type to be printed is input. The determination unit determines whether to change the reference characteristic value of the printing medium type associated with the input information based on the measurement result and the printing medium type associated with the input information. Wherein, when the determination unit determines to change the reference characteristic value, the change unit changes the reference characteristic value of the printing medium type based on the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Kasamatsu, Yuki Igarashi, Koji Suda, Fumikazu Nishikawa, Yasushi Morimoto, Keiko Harada, Ryoma Ono
  • Patent number: 11697295
    Abstract: Misalignment of printing positions between print heads associated with thermal expansion is reduced without increasing a data processing load. To this end, printing element substrates in a reference head and an adjustment target head are adjusted to a target temperature, and a liquid is circulated through the print element substrates. After thermal expansion of the reference head and the adjustment target head reaches a steady state, a first printing region being a printing region of the reference head and a second printing region being a printing region of the adjustment target head in a longitudinal direction are obtained from an image printed by using all printing elements. Then, used regions to be used for actual printing are set among the printing elements arranged on the reference head and the adjustment target head based on the first printing region and the second printing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yumi Komamiya, Satoshi Oikawa, Shingo Okushima
  • Patent number: 11691413
    Abstract: Disclosed is an industrial single-pass inkjet printer/press incorporating a line-scan camera. The line-scan camera enables system software to inspect every sheet for quality assurance purposes. These inspection results are tied back to a digital printer to take one or more of several possible actions. Actions include ensuring a particular number of acceptable prints are generated and sorted. Actions further include performing nozzle checks without pausing or interrupting production orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Steven A. Billow, Ghilad Dziesietnik, John A. Weismantel, Darin Schick, Boris Liberman, Noam Rabin, Hsinchia Chen
  • Patent number: 11679600
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a decision unit, a determination unit, and a change unit. The acquisition unit acquires a measurement result regarding a printing medium characteristic value. The decision unit decides a candidate for a printing medium type based on the acquired measurement result, and a reference characteristic value of each of printing media types set in advance to identify a type of the measured printing medium. Information associated with the printing medium type to be printed is input. The determination unit determines whether to change the reference characteristic value of the printing medium type associated with the input information based on the measurement result and the printing medium type associated with the input information. Wherein, when the determination unit determines to change the reference characteristic value, the change unit changes the reference characteristic value of the printing medium type based on the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Kasamatsu, Yuki Igarashi, Koji Suda, Fumikazu Nishikawa, Yasushi Morimoto, Keiko Harada, Ryoma Ono
  • Patent number: 11679585
    Abstract: A printing apparatus that performs printing by using a print head includes a first power supply, a second power supply, and a control unit. The first power supply supplies a first voltage to the print head through a first supply line. The second power supply supplies a second voltage to the print head through a second supply line. The control unit supplies the first voltage from the first power supply without supplying a voltage from the second power supply at the time of an inspection of the print head, and executes a process action concerning a current leakage when a voltage exceeding a predetermined first threshold is generated on the second supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Ogi, Hisao Okita
  • Patent number: 11673406
    Abstract: Method of printing fluid on a printable surface of a substrate. A print head ejects fluid in a continuous stream. The print head that includes a micro-structural fluid ejector, which consists of output, elongate input, and tapering portions between the output and the elongate input portions. The output consists of an exit orifice of an inner diameter ranging between 0.1 ?m and 5 ?m and an end face having a surface roughness of less than 0.1 ?m. The print head is positioned above the substrate with the output of the micro-structural fluid ejector pointing downward. During printing, the print head positioning system maintains a vertical distance between the end face and the printable surface of the substrate within a range of 0 ?m to 5 ?m, and the pneumatic system applies pressure to the fluid in the micro-structural fluid ejector in the range of ?50,000 Pa to 1,000,000 Pa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: XTPL S.A.
    Inventors: Filip Granek, Aneta Wiatrowska, Krzysztof Fijak, Michal Dusza, Przemyslaw Cichon, Piotr Kowalczewski
  • Patent number: 11673409
    Abstract: Fluid printing apparatus including substrate, print head, pneumatic system, and print head positioning system. The print head ejects fluid in a continuous stream with a micro-structural fluid ejector consisting of output, elongate input, and tapering portions between the output and elongate input portions. The output portion consists of an exit orifice of an inner diameter ranging between 0.1 ?m and 5 ?m and an end face having a surface roughness of less than 0.1 ?m. The print head is positioned above the substrate with the output portion of the micro-structural fluid ejector pointing downward. During printing, the print head positioning system maintains a vertical distance between the end face and the printable surface of the substrate within a range of 0 ?m to 5 ?m, and the pneumatic system applies pressure to the fluid in the micro-structural fluid ejector in the range of ?50,000 Pa to 1,000,000 Pa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: XTPL S.A.
    Inventors: Filip Granek, Aneta Wiatrowska, Krzysztof Fijak, Michal Dusza, Przemyslaw Cichon, Piotr Kowalczewski
  • Patent number: 11673386
    Abstract: A measurement method of nozzle overlapping width, in a main scanning direction intersecting a conveying direction of a recording medium, in an inkjet recording apparatus including a plurality of heads each having a plurality of nozzles that eject ink, includes a first step (S120), a second step (S130), and a third step (S140). The first step (S120) includes forming an image for measurement on the recording medium, using image data including combination patterns of droplet sizes, different with respect to each of blocks extending along the main scanning direction. The second step (S130) includes selecting the block having uniform density along the main scanning direction, in the image for measurement. The third step (S140) includes determining the nozzle overlapping width using a droplet size ratio adopted to form the image for measurement, on a basis of a position of the selected block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masaaki Nishihara
  • Patent number: 11667141
    Abstract: A printing apparatus acquires characteristic information about a recording medium and executes a light quantity adjustment in a reading operation using a reading unit based on the acquired characteristic information. By using the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of processes for analyzing read data obtained by reading a test pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kanto Kurasawa
  • Patent number: 11654678
    Abstract: Examples include a fluid ejection device. The fluid ejection device comprises a fluid ejection die and a control engine. The fluid ejection die comprises nozzles to eject fluid drops and a temperature sensors disposed on the die to sense temperatures associated with nozzles. The control engine determines at least one nozzle characteristic of at least one respective nozzle based at least in part on a temperature change associated with the at least one respective nozzle corresponding to at least one ejection event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Craig Olbrich, Joseph M Torgerson
  • Patent number: 11648788
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling a print head implemented on a wire and cable manufacturing line, the apparatus comprising a sleeve, wherein the sleeve has an internal portion and an external portion and wherein the sleeve forms an internal void marginally larger than the size of the print head and wherein the sleeve further comprises an elongated surface; a front surface connected to the elongated surface, wherein the front surface comprises an ink outlet opening; a rear surface connected to the elongated surface, wherein the rear surface comprises a cable opening; a channel connected to the internal portion of the sleeve, wherein the channel comprises an open side facing the internal void and wherein the channel on the internal portion of the sleeve extends from the rear to the front of the sleeve; an air inlet compartment in communication with the channel and enclosed by the rear surface; an air inlet in communication with the air inlet compartment; and an exhaust channel connected to the sleeve and extending from
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Encore Wire Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew P. Hull, Jeffrey T. Mileger
  • Patent number: 11633969
    Abstract: A control unit obtains a captured image of a reference workpiece by a second image capturing unit after a droplet ejected from a droplet ejecting head lands toward a reference mark formed on an upper surface of the reference workpiece, detects a positional deviation amount of a position of the reference mark and a landing position of the droplet based on the captured image, and calculates the correction amounts of the relative positions of a workpiece table and a droplet ejecting head based on the positional deviation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhito Miyazaki, Akira Kakino, Wataru Yoshitomi
  • Patent number: 11633950
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a piezoelectric element with a common electrode on one side and an individual electrode on another side; a nozzle; and circuitry. The circuitry selects one from drive signals and supplies the one drive signal to the piezoelectric element via the individual electrode, to discharge a droplet through the nozzle to form an image. Each drive signal includes waveform pulses including a main pulse that rises in a slope shape during a rising time and finishes rising at an end time. The circuitry generates the drive signals so that the end time of a less influential drive signal other than a most influential drive signal falls within a range of the rising time of the main pulse of the most influential drive signal; selects the one drive signal based on an image to be formed; and supplies the one drive signal to the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Iwata
  • Patent number: 11624478
    Abstract: A head mounted device includes a ring-shaped mount unit for mounting the head mounted device on a head of a user, the ring-shaped mount unit including a first housing having a band portion on each of both sides thereof and a second housing having an engagement portion to be engaged with the band portion, and the ring-shaped mount unit being formed in a ring shape that enables enlargement and reduction of a circumference thereof by engagement of the band portion with the engagement portion. The head mounted device further includes a circumference holding unit, such as a torque limiter, configured to generate a holding force at least in a circumference enlargement direction of the ring-shaped mount unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Torii
  • Patent number: 11624762
    Abstract: Circuits and methods that enable stacking of phase change material (PCM) switches and that accommodate variations in the resistance of the resistive heater(s) of such switches. Stacking is enabled by providing isolation switches for the resistive heater(s) in a PCM switch to reduce parasitic capacitance caused by the proximity of the resistive heater(s) to the PCM region of a PCM switch. Variations in the resistance of the resistive heater(s) of a PCM switch are mitigated or eliminated by sensing the actual resistance of the resistive heater(s) and then determining a suitable adjusted electrical pulse profile for the resistive heater(s) that generates a precise thermal pulse to the PCM region, thereby reliably achieving a desired switch state while extending the life of the resistive heater(s) and the phase-change material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Adamski, Jeffrey A. Dykstra, Edward Nicholas Comfoltey
  • Patent number: 11618259
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a liquid jetting head having: a plurality of kinds of individual channels, a jetting surface formed with a plurality of kinds of nozzles from which a plurality of kinds of liquids are jetted, respectively, a plurality of kinds of inflow channels, a plurality of kinds of outflow channels; valves provided at least on the plurality of kinds of inflow channels; a wiper configured to be movable relative to the liquid jetting head in a direction along the jetting surface; a first motor configured to move the liquid jetting head and the wiper relative to each other; and a controller. The controller executes a wiping by driving the first motor in a state that the valves are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Taisuke Mizuno