Measuring And Testing (e.g., Diagnostics) Patents (Class 347/19)
  • Patent number: 11896985
    Abstract: A system for analysing drops capable of being ejected by a coating product applicator, includes a light source configured to illuminate a drop ejection zone, designated observation zone; a first image acquisition device configured to acquire an image of the observation zone; and an image analyser configured to determine, from the image of the observation zone, the presence of drops at a given distance from the applicator, the size of the drops and the absence of satellite; the light source and the first image acquisition device being situated on a same side of the observation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: EXEL INDUSTRIES
    Inventors: Cédric Le Strat, Juan Guillermo Palacio
  • Patent number: 11899999
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a former that performs image formation on a sheet conveyed on a conveyance path; a first hardware processor that detects a type of the sheet on which the image is formed; a second hardware processor that receives specification of a type of a sheet from a user; and a third hardware processor that receives a user setting regarding the image formation, wherein the user setting includes a setting for allowing the former to continuously perform the image formation in a case where the sheet type detected by the first hardware processor is different from the sheet type specified by the user received by the second hardware processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Akinori Kimata, Kenichi Hayashi, Shiro Umeda, Yukinobu Iguchi, Satoru Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11897271
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, having a power source, a drivable device, a head, a motor, a carriage, a sensor, and a controller, is provided. In a recording process, the controller sets a limitation current calculated by subtracting a variable first driving current from an allowable current to the power source, controls the power source to supply the first driving current to the drivable device and simultaneously supply a variable second driving current not exceeding the maximum current to the motor, and when the controller determines, based on a signal output from the sensor, that a behavior of the carriage satisfies an error condition, on condition that the drivable device has completed a targeted conveying action, issue an error alert, and on condition that the drivable device has not completed the targeted conveying action, control the motor to cause the carriage to continue moving without issuing the error alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuta Arakawa
  • Patent number: 11902490
    Abstract: A color printing system manages ICC profiles by controlling ink use without performing the ICC profile creation operations. To obtain an ink limit for an ICC profile, a table associated with the ICC profile is parsed to determine the ink limit. The ink limit is decreased or increased. For an ink limit decrease, a color over the decreased ink limit is adjusted to meet the new ink limit. The ICC profile is updated accordingly. For an ink limit increase, the combination of primary colors are boosted by a percentage amount. Checks are made with regard to the volume-based ink limit and an quality check operation to accepted the boosted amount. The ICC profile is updated accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Michael M. Chang, Javier A. Morales
  • Patent number: 11888844
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electrical circuit system for performing a test. The electrical circuit system includes a first circuitry that transmits a test request signal; a second circuitry that receives a response signal including a test authentication key, generates a test authentication-related value by performing a first Exclusive-OR operation on the test authentication key and a security, and sends the generated test authentication-related value to a third circuitry; and the third circuitry that generates the test authentication key in response to the request for test authentication, send the test authentication key, to the second circuitry, receives the test authentication-related value from the second circuitry, create a verification key by performing a second Exclusive-OR operation on the test authentication-related value and the security key, and generates a test result by verifying whether the verification key is identical to the test authentication key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SECUVE Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-Yoong Hong
  • Patent number: 11878530
    Abstract: A method of inkjet printer operation indicates a need for printhead purging without requiring analysis of printed images to detect streakiness in the images. The method compares terms of a histogram of a filtered response of an inkjet status vector to a streakiness metric to determine whether the distribution of inoperative inkjets in a printhead enables missing ink techniques to be used to compensate for inoperative inkjets in the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Stuart A Schweid
  • Patent number: 11878520
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described herein for measurement of droplets dispensed from a printhead of an inkjet printer onto a substrate. An inkjet printer described herein comprises a printhead assembly comprising a printhead and an imaging system, the imaging system comprising a camera and a strobed LED source; and a deposition unit for positioning a substrate to receive droplets dispensed from the printhead and for imaging the droplets using the imaging system and the strobed LED source. Methods described herein comprise dispensing droplets of a liquid from a printhead of a printhead assembly of an inkjet printer onto a substrate; positioning the substrate with respect to an imaging system coupled to the printhead assembly, the imaging system comprising a camera and an LED light source; and imaging the droplets on the substrate by relatively scanning the substrate and the imaging system and strobing the LED light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry Chang
  • Patent number: 11875066
    Abstract: Provided is a method of controlling an information processing apparatus configured to execute an extension application associated with printing data generation software operatable in the information processing apparatus to extend a function, the method including: obtaining input data including printing setting; displaying a screen related to a specific function on a display unit in a case where it is determined based on the printing setting that the specific function is executed; editing the input data, such that the specific function is executed, to convert the input data into printing data; and transmitting the printing data to a printing apparatus after the screen is displayed on the display unit in the displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoki Shibamori
  • Patent number: 11868058
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for compensating for variation of the image placement for each color station in an intermediate transfer drum system. A sensor detects the image placed by the previous station and triggers the imaging on the drum such that it properly registered to the previous image. However, the variation of the drum's radius results in runout which creates an error in the image placement, since the surface drum travel will be larger or smaller than expected. The method to correct for a lead edge offset for radial runout involves dividing the drum into regions and calculating an offset center of each region. As the drum transitions from region to region the offset value is updated to determine when to start imaging for proper placement on the sheet. The offset can be derived from the image runout to find the distance traveled from the transfer point or can be measured directly from color-to-color registration variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Patricia J. Donaldson, Jack T. Lestrange
  • Patent number: 11865834
    Abstract: Examples relate to computer-implemented methods for a printing system comprising a printhead, and to printing systems. A method for a printing system comprises retrieving a stored first offset applied to the printhead to align the printhead, the first offset determined based on a first user input signal; and further aligning the printhead according to a further offset determined based on a further user input signal, the further offset indicating a difference from the first offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Maria Vila Abad, Xavier Quintero Ruiz, David Vendrell Tornero, Carles Carmona Calpe
  • Patent number: 11850841
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus has: a liquid discharge section configured to change an inner volume of a first pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle by a first piezoelectric element; a pressure vibration section configured to change an inner volume of a second pressure chamber by a second piezoelectric element; a driving signal generation section configured to generate a discharging driving signal for the first piezoelectric element and a detection driving signal for the second piezoelectric element; and a vibration detection section that detects residual vibration of a liquid filled in the second pressure chamber after the supply of the detection driving signal. The viscous resistance of a flow path between the second pressure chamber and the common flow path is lower than the viscous resistance of a flow path between the first pressure chamber and the common flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Katakura, Toshiro Murayama
  • Patent number: 11850866
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the technical field of printer consumables, and in particular, to a communication method for a consumable chip, a consumable chip, and a consumable. The communication method for a consumable chip includes: in the process of consumable serial number authentication, performing non-AC authentication with an imaging device based on a first serial number, and performing AC authentication with the imaging device based on a second serial number. The non-AC authentication is performed on the chip by using the first serial number before the device is upgraded, such that the imaging device records the first serial number as a used chip serial number. The second serial number, which is set after the device is upgraded, is only used for AC authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Hangzhou Chipjet Technology Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Lei Ding, Quan Sang
  • Patent number: 11841374
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable media are provided for determining a sequential ordering of predefined transfers for transferring an object from source points of a source array to destination points of a destination array in a laboratory automation system. For each transition to a next transfer, first and second component travel costs between current and next transfer positions are determined. A transition travel cost is determined from the first and second component travel costs. The cost of each sequential ordering of the predefined transfers is based upon an aggregate of the transition travel costs for each ordering of the transfers. The resolved sequential ordering may be based upon the sequential ordering that has the lowest cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher Bremner
  • Patent number: 11831844
    Abstract: A system is disclosed. The system includes at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to generate transfer functions for each of a plurality of color planes to compensate for overlapping pel forming elements of adjacent printheads, wherein the transfer functions are generated based on ink deposition functions for groups of pel forming elements including non-overlapping pel forming elements and the overlapping pel forming elements, wherein the transfer functions transform input digital counts, and wherein the ink deposition functions represent output ink amount versus input digital count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikel Stanich, Walter F. Kailey, Nikita Gurudath, Ziling Zhang, Brandon Skogen
  • Patent number: 11820157
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a reading device, and circuitry. The image forming device discharges ink droplets through nozzles to form an image on a recording medium conveyed in a first direction. The reading device reads the image formed on the recording medium. The circuitry generates a correction chart that includes patches, located in the first direction and representing different densities from each other, and two marks located at different positions from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The circuitry locates opposed end portions of the patches in the second direction outside the two marks in the second direction. The circuitry derives correction data, based on read data of an area of the patches existing inside the two marks in the second direction included in read data provided by the reading device reading the correction chart formed on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuuki Sagimori
  • Patent number: 11820134
    Abstract: A print head includes a head portion that includes a driving element driven by a drive signal and ejects a liquid in response to the drive of the driving element, a flow path member provided with a liquid flow path for supplying a liquid to the head portion, a circuit board provided with a supply circuit for supplying the drive signal to the driving element and disposed between the head portion and the flow path member, and a sound emitting element disposed between the circuit board and the flow path member, in which the flow path member is provided with a sound guide tube that guides sound emitted by the sound emitting element to an outside of the flow path member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Nakano, Tatsuya Sato, Masahiro Toki, Shunsuke Kasai
  • Patent number: 11820135
    Abstract: A print head includes a head portion that includes a driving element driven by a drive signal and ejects a liquid in response to the drive of the driving element, a flow path member provided with a liquid flow path for supplying a liquid to the head portion, a circuit board provided with a supply circuit for supplying the drive signal to the driving element and disposed between the head portion and the flow path member, and a light emitting element disposed between the circuit board and the flow path member, in which the flow path member is provided with a light guide tube that guides light emitted by the light emitting element to an outside of the flow path member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Nakano, Tatsuya Sato, Masahiro Toki, Shunsuke Kasai
  • Patent number: 11820141
    Abstract: An element substrate of a liquid ejection head includes an ejection element for ejecting a liquid, a plurality of electrode pads for receiving power for causing the ejection element to eject the liquid, and a sensor for detecting that the liquid has invaded the vicinity of the plurality of electrode pads. The sensor has first wiring connected with one electrode pad of the plurality of electrode pads and second wiring connected with one electrode pad different from the electrode pad connected with the first wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Osuki
  • Patent number: 11801680
    Abstract: A method of operating a printer iteratively performs printhead purges and test pattern analysis until either every printhead has a number of inoperative inkjets that is less than a predetermined threshold or a maximum number of iterations is reached. An error message is generated for each printhead having a number of inoperative inkjets that is greater than the predetermined threshold. The iterative performance of the printhead purges and test pattern analysis is performed automatically prior to the commencement of printing operations with the printer to remove subjective and time-consuming analysis by a printer operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Elizabeth L. Barrese, Dara N. Lubin, Ron E. Dufort, Matthew J. Ochs
  • Patent number: 11794478
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles, a determination circuit, a clock, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether the clock is in an on or off state. In response to determining that the clock is in an on state, the controller is configured to perform an inspection process at a first time. In the inspection process, the controller drives the liquid ejection head to eject liquid from a nozzle of the plurality nozzles and receive a determination signal that is output from the determination circuit in response to ejection of liquid from the nozzle of the plurality of nozzles. In response to determining that the clock is in an off state, the controller is configured to perform the inspection process at a predetermined time that is a time after the clock is returned to an on state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Shindo, Toshiro Ueda, Ryuji Horata, Zenichiro Sasaki, Kenta Horade, Hironori Takasaki
  • Patent number: 11794472
    Abstract: A method of processing phase signals for continuous inkjet printing, said method comprising: providing at least one phase signal, wherein said at least one phase signal is an analogue signal; converting the at least one phase signal into at least one corresponding digitised phase signal; and processing said at least one digitised phasing signal, wherein the processing comprises extracting at least one predetermined phase parameter from the at least one digitised phasing signal when the at least one digitised phasing signal is a time-domain digitalised phase signal, and wherein the at least one predetermined phase parameter comprises one or more time-domain signal features of the at least one digitised phasing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventors: Nigel Edward Sherman, Arkadiusz Cezary Zawada, David Horsnell, Paul Cox
  • Patent number: 11789670
    Abstract: A method for controlling an information processing apparatus includes a notifying step of, if an error is occurring in a printing apparatus under non-completion of an initial setting process for the printing apparatus when a predetermined program is operating on the information processing apparatus, executing a notification process for notifying a user of the error occurring in the printing apparatus on the basis of error information, the initial setting process being a process executed in response to the user turning on the printing apparatus for a first time after the printing apparatus is unpacked, and not executing the notification process if an error is occurring in the printing apparatus under completion of the initial setting process for the printing apparatus when the predetermined program is operating on the information processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshinori Kawaura
  • Patent number: 11787122
    Abstract: A droplet discharge apparatus includes a discharge head including a nozzle, a nozzle surface observation device, and processing circuitry. The discharge head including the nozzle is configured to discharge a droplet onto a discharge receiving medium formed of powder. The nozzle surface observation device is configured to observe a nozzle surface of the nozzle of the discharge head. The processing circuitry is configured to calculate an adhesion amount of attached matter to the nozzle surface based on an observation result of the nozzle surface observation device. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, based on a calculation result of the adhesion amount of the attached matter, an operation on a control target that controls at least one of a mass and a discharge speed of the droplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Ito, Tsuyoshi Arao, Yoichi Sakurai, Tomomi Akieda
  • Patent number: 11785164
    Abstract: An object is to provide a copy function that guarantees intensity of embedded information. At the time of copying a printed material, embedded information is extracted from a scanned image obtained by scanning the target printed material. Then, in a case where it is confirmed that the copy-target printed material is an authentic document by the extracted embedded information, the embedded information extracted from the scanned image is reconfigured and printed and output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kunieda, Akitoshi Yamada, Yoichi Kashibuchi
  • Patent number: 11779946
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a system for quality inspection in the entire process of inkjet printing manufacturing of display devices, which includes a substrate inspection module, a nozzle inspection module, an ink droplet inspection module, a coating thickness inspection module and a control module. Through design and matching of these modules, it is possible to realize a series of operations such as substrate inspection, nozzle inspection, flying ink droplet inspection, liquid coating inspection and cured coating inspection. The invention also discloses a corresponding quality inspection method for the entire inkjet printing manufacturing process for display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jiankui Chen, Zhouping Yin, Qiangqiang Liu
  • Patent number: 11782665
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an image forming control method, a consumable chip, an image forming apparatus, and a consumable. For the image forming control method, based on the environmental data, the encryption and decryption processing and transmission are performed on the preset compensation value of the image forming control parameter using the environmental data respectively detected by the consumable chip and the image forming apparatus. The preset compensation value is prevented from being intercepted and tampered during transmission, which makes data transmission more secure, thereby ensuring the printing and image forming quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: ZHUHAI PANTUM ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Haixiong Li
  • Patent number: 11783150
    Abstract: A system is disclosed. The system includes at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to generate first ink deposition function representing a first output ink amount versus input digital count for each of a plurality of color planes, generate second ink deposition function representing a second output ink amount versus input digital count for each of the plurality of color planes and generate transfer functions for each of the plurality of color planes based on the first ink deposition function and the second ink deposition function, wherein the transfer functions transform input digital counts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikel Stanich, Walter F. Kailey, Nikita Gurudath, Ziling Zhang, Brandon Skogen
  • Patent number: 11775232
    Abstract: A printer has a print engine to print images represented by a series of print data on the plurality of printing areas one by one. When an image printed on the printing area is determined to be a low quality image, the controller stops printing and reprint an image corresponding to the low quality image and images corresponding to discard-target images which are being printed or having been printed on the printing areas located upstream in the feeding direction with respect to the printing area on which the NG image has been printed on a new printing area located upstream in the feeding direction with respect to a printing position of the print engine in an order of the print data. The particular image printer is configured to overprint the particular image on the printing area on which the NG image or the discard-target image is printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shoko Ota
  • Patent number: 11760083
    Abstract: Misalignment of printing positions is reduced in a print head that circulates an ink between a printing apparatus and the print head in a case where the misalignment is apt to change dynamically along with heat deformation. To this end, printing element substrates in the print head are adjusted to a target temperature and then a liquid is circulated through the print element substrates. After thermal expansion of the print head reaches a steady state, an amount of misalignment of printing positions in a direction of conveyance of the print head is obtained by using a test pattern printed by using printing elements. Further, a correction value for correcting the misalignment of the printing positions is set based on the obtained amount of misalignment of the printing positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yumi Komamiya, Shingo Okushima
  • Patent number: 11752771
    Abstract: A discharge head includes an orifice surface in which orifices each configured to discharge a droplet are arrayed in a predetermined direction. A detecting unit includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and optically detects a droplet discharged from the orifice. A suppression unit is arranged between the light emitting element and the orifice surface, and suppresses the light emitted from the light emitting element from reaching the orifice surface by shielding at least some rays of the light which are emitted from the light emitting element and would otherwise propagate to the orifice surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kiyokawa
  • Patent number: 11752775
    Abstract: A method for determining print defects in a printing operation carried out on an inkjet printing machine for processing a print job includes using a camera system to record and digitize printed products generated during the printing operation, feeding the camera image having been thus generated to a detection algorithm on the computer, alerting a machine control unit when print defects are found, and ejecting the printed product through a waste ejector if necessary. The detection algorithm separates color separations of the camera images, detects the print defects in the color separations, links images of the individual color separations to form a candidate image, filters the candidate image, enters the remaining detected print defects into a list, and forwards the list to the machine control unit of the printing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Jan Krieger, Frank Schumann
  • Patent number: 11745498
    Abstract: A digital printer and a method of controlling the digital printer having a print head with an array of printing elements and a failure detection system arranged to detect malfunctioning printing elements. When, during printing, a malfunctioning printing element is detected, a switch from the current print strategy to another print strategy is arranged during printing which leaves the number of passes per swatch constant, i.e. the print quality is not affected by the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON PRODUCTION PRINTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventor: Peter J. M. Aarts
  • Patent number: 11745502
    Abstract: In an example, a printing apparatus includes a controller, wherein the controller may be to compare a historic usage of a first printhead nozzle with a historic usage of a second printhead nozzle which is located on a same printhead as the first nozzle. The controller may be to determine that the historic usage of the first nozzle is higher than the historic usage of the second nozzle, and in response identify a currently operational third printhead nozzle, for which the second nozzle is able to compensate; and turn off the third nozzle, and operate the second nozzle at a higher firing frequency to compensate for the third nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Antonio Gracia Verdugo, Andreu Vinets Alonso, Andrei Alexandru Dafinoiu
  • Patent number: 11738517
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to droplet ejecting additive manufacturing systems used in the manufacturing of advanced polishing articles. In particular, embodiments herein provide methods for aligning a plurality of dispense heads of the additive manufacturing system. In one embodiment, a method for aligning a plurality of dispense heads of an additive manufacturing system includes forming an alignment test pattern comprising droplets dispensed from each of the plurality of dispense heads, comparing the placement of one or more of the droplets to determine offset distances therebetween, and generating one or more timing offsets based on the offset distances. In some embodiments, the method further includes using the timing offsets to control the dispensing of droplets from one or more of the plurality of dispense heads in a subsequent additive manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Abramson, Mo Yang, Jason G. Fung, Douglas Kitajima
  • Patent number: 11740132
    Abstract: A processing system of a mobile device acquires an image of an object of a target color, wherein the image was captured by an integrated digital camera of the mobile device, calculates a first plurality of values that describes the target color, and wherein the calculating is based on an analysis of a pixel of the image, and identifies a first candidate color from among a plurality of candidate colors, wherein each candidate color in the plurality of candidate colors is associated with a second set of values that describes the each candidate color, and wherein the second set of values describing the first candidate color matches the first set of values more closely than any second set of values associated with another candidate color of the plurality of candidate colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Datacolor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Wei, Sachin Deshpande, Taeyoung Park
  • Patent number: 11722604
    Abstract: An image inspection apparatus is provided to allow a user to check a really-inspected area. The image inspection apparatus includes an image scanning unit to scan an image on a paper, an abnormality detector to determine whether or not a printing result is normal based on the image scanned by the image scanning unit, a storage unit to store information on an area to be inspected by the abnormality detector, and a display processor to indicate the area to be inspected by the abnormality detector in the image scanned by the image scanning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsu Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 11701893
    Abstract: A method of authenticating a consumable or detachable element of a continuous inkjet printer comprising: the controller of the printer generating a 1st item of random information that is dispatched to an authentication circuit of the element; encrypting the 1st item of information by the authentication circuit using a 1st encryption algorithm and a 1st secret key to form a 1st item of encrypted random information; dispatching the 1st item of information to the controller; encrypting the 1st item of information by the controller using a 2nd encryption algorithm and a 2nd secret key to form a 2nd item of encrypted random information; comparing the 1st item of encrypted random information with the 2nd encrypted item of random information to authenticate the consumable element; and if the consumable element is authenticated, dispatching at least one part of a 3rd key, termed the shared key, by the element to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Dover Europe Sàrl
    Inventor: Damien Bonneton
  • Patent number: 11691414
    Abstract: Print data is organized over rows and columns. The columns of each row are selectively assigned to calibration tables respectively corresponding to printheads of a pagewide array in accordance with a substrate advancement skew relative to the pagewide array. The calibration tables are applied to the columns of each row respectively assigned to the calibration tables. The columns of each row to which the calibration tables have been applied are printed using the printheads respectively corresponding to the calibration tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Carlos Fajardo Sanchez, Albert Serra Monner, Esteve Tarrago Sanchis
  • Patent number: 11685154
    Abstract: An inkjet printing device includes a stage part including a stage, an inkjet head part including at least one inkjet head that disposes an ink on the stage, the ink including dipoles and a solvent having the dipoles, a heat treatment device that removes the solvent, a first sensing part that measures a position of the ink disposed on the stage, a second sensing part that measures a position of the inkjet head, and a third sensing part that measures a position of each of the dipoles disposed on the stage. A dipole aligning method includes disposing an ink on a substrate, the ink including dipoles and a solvent having the dipoles, generating an electric field on the substrate and disposing the dipoles on the substrate by the electric field, removing the solvent, and measuring a position of each of the dipoles disposed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byung Chui Lee, Heung Cheol Jeong, Myung Soo Huh, Min Soo Kim, Jae Ha Lim
  • Patent number: 11685167
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a state detection unit configured to detect states of the liquids contained in the plurality of liquid tanks; a light emission unit attached to an external surface of the information processing apparatus with a cover closed, the cover being opened when the plurality of tanks are operated; and a control unit configured to control the light emission unit, based on a fact that the state of the liquid detected by the state detection unit is a predetermined state in one of the plurality of liquid tanks, so that the light emission unit emits light in a light emission pattern corresponding to the liquid tank that contains the liquid in the predetermined state, out of a plurality of light emission patterns corresponding to the plurality of liquid tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuka Katahira
  • Patent number: 11681216
    Abstract: An apparatus forms a pattern of an imprint material by curing the imprint material in a state in which the imprint material on a pattern formation region of a member, where a pattern is to be formed, is in contact with a pattern region of a mold. The apparatus includes a dispenser for placing the imprint material on the pattern formation region of the member and a non-pattern formation region of the member, outside the pattern formation region, a detector for detecting the non-pattern formation region in a state in which the imprint material has been placed on the pattern formation region and the non-pattern formation region by the dispenser, and a controller for performing processing for determining an abnormality in the dispenser based on a detection result of the non-pattern formation region by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsutomu Terao
  • Patent number: 11679598
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transport unit, a printing head, and a control unit that prints, on a printing medium, a test pattern for inspecting a state of ink discharge by a nozzles. The test pattern includes a first pattern element group in which a plurality of pattern elements to be printed by the nozzles are arranged in the transport direction, and a second pattern element group in which a plurality of pattern elements to be printed by the nozzles are arranged in the transport direction. After the control unit causes the transport unit to transport, by a distance equal to or greater than a nozzle pitch, the printing medium printed with the first pattern element group by causing the nozzles to discharge the ink, the control unit prints the second pattern element group on the printing medium by causing the nozzles used to print the first pattern element group to discharge the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichi OHara
  • Patent number: 11675287
    Abstract: A hierarchical printhead system supports multiple print modes. A first print mode uses a first subset of light sources having a first spacing. A second print mode uses a second subset of light sources having a second spacing which is less than the first spacing. Image data for lines of image data are sequentially loaded into the printhead, wherein if the specified print mode is the first print mode, image data for a first group of light sources corresponding to the first subset are loaded, and if the specified print mode is the second print mode, image data for the first group of light sources are first loaded, and then image data for a second group of light sources corresponding to the light sources in the second subset that are not in the first subset are loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 11654688
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a nozzle inspection unit configured to inspect nozzle clogging of a nozzle, a discharged dot count unit configured to count a number of times a discharge signal is transmitted to the nozzle, a storage unit configured to store ink residual amount-related information containing an ink consumption amount for one dot, and an ink residual amount control unit configured to calculate an ink consumption amount based on the number of times the discharge signal is transmitted counted by the discharged dot count unit and the ink consumption amount for one dot, and to update the residual amount of the ink retained in the ink retaining unit. The printing apparatus removes the nozzle determined to be clogged by the inspection of the nozzle clogging by the nozzle inspection unit from the nozzles targeted for calculating the ink consumption amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11656813
    Abstract: A printing system includes: a conveyance controller configured to control a conveyor, the conveyor being configured to convey paper having a printing surface in which label portions are formed at predetermined intervals; a sensor configured to irradiate light on the paper conveyed by the conveyor to detect reflected light of the irradiated light; a detector configured to detect an output of the sensor; a moving average calculator configured to calculate moving averages of voltage values based on the output of the sensor detected by the detector; and a determiner configured to determine that a portion between an adjacent pair of the label portions has been detected based on the moving averages of the voltage values calculated by the moving average calculator, and the output of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Yuichi Yoshigi
  • Patent number: 11654509
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a first imaging unit over a chuck table that images a back surface side of a workpiece, a second imaging unit under the chuck table that images a front surface side of the workpiece in a region corresponding to a region imaged by the first imaging unit, and a control part that inverts, in a predetermined direction, either a first image obtained by imaging of a processed groove on the back surface side by the first imaging unit or a second image obtained by imaging of the processed groove on the front surface side by the second imaging unit in such a manner that orientations of the first and second images correspond with each other, and that causes a display device to display both the processed groove in the first image and the processed groove in the second image that are superimposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Kojima
  • Patent number: 11642888
    Abstract: One example of a fluid ejection system includes a plurality of fluid ejection devices, a corresponding plurality of indicators, an operator interface, and a controller. Each indicator is on a corresponding fluid ejection device. The operator interface is to select a fluid ejection device. The controller is to turn on the corresponding indicator for the selected fluid ejection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, James R Przybyla
  • Patent number: 11633961
    Abstract: A method of controlling a system including a printhead for printing an image on at least one surface, wherein the at least one surface differs in shape from a nominal surface by a known tolerance, and wherein the printhead and the at least one surface move relative to each other along a predetermined print path comprising at least one swathe. Small dot patterns (referred to as “pathfinders”) are printed on a surface of the object in a preliminary printing pass, then the printed dot patterns are analyzed, for example with a machine vision system. The necessary corrections may then be calculated from this analysis and applied to a subsequent full printing pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Global Inkjet Systems Limited
    Inventors: Philip Collins, Nicholas Campbell Geddes
  • Patent number: 11628667
    Abstract: An integrated circuit to drive a plurality of fluid actuation devices includes an interface, a digital circuit, an analog circuit, and control logic. The digital circuit outputs a digital signal to the interface. The analog circuit outputs an analog signal to the interface. The control logic activates the digital circuit or the analog circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott A. Linn, James Michael Gardner
  • Patent number: 11623236
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fluidic ejection device configured to detect whether one or more nozzles of the fluidic ejection device is in a normal state, a blocked nozzle state, or an accumulated fluid state. The fluidic ejection device includes an optical blockage detector having a light emitting device configured to emit a light signal, and a light sensor configured to detect the light signal. The optical blockage detector detects the normal state, the blocked nozzle state, and the accumulated fluid state based on the detected light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Raynor