Of Ejector Patents (Class 347/9)
  • Patent number: 11278882
    Abstract: In an example implementation, a method of dispensing fluid from a fluid dispensing device, includes receiving a dispense head at a receiving station, and receiving a notification that a supply slot in the dispense head has been filled with fluid. The method includes vibrating the dispense head to move fluid through a microfluidic channel from the supply slot into an ejection chamber of the dispense head, and providing a dispense signal to cause an ejection mechanism disposed within the chamber to eject an amount of the fluid from the dispense head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Michael J Day
  • Patent number: 11280806
    Abstract: Means and methods for dispensing small amounts of liquid from multi-channel microdispensing devices, suitable for use in automatic processing in biological assays and for the cultivation of cells and tissues, by means of optical control of the dosed liquid by specific light barrier units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FĂ–RDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Michael Klinger, Christopher Laske
  • Patent number: 11267268
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a head portion that discharges droplets toward a printing medium while reciprocating on the printing medium; and a controller that controls movement of the head portion during a printing operation such that a movement stop time of the head portion when a movement direction of the head portion is reversed at an endmost portion of a range in which the head portion moves is longer than the movement stop time of the head portion when the movement direction of the head portion is reversed on the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventors: Takuya Ota, Eiichi Ohara
  • Patent number: 11249434
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including an optical print head, a length of a cable from a regulating portion to a connecting portion in a state where the connecting portion is connected to a connector is set to a length that enables the connector to be located on a front side of an opening when the optical print head moves to a pull-out position in the state where the connecting portion is connected to the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuya Tamura, Hitoshi Iwai, Takehiro Ishidate, Shinichiro Hosoi, Toshiki Momoka, Daisuke Aruga
  • Patent number: 11239422
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process whereby diverse classes of materials can be 3D printed and fully integrated into device components with active properties. An exemplary embodiment shows the seamless interweaving of five different materials, including (1) emissive semiconducting inorganic nanoparticles, (2) an elastomeric matrix, (3) organic polymers as charge transport layers, (4) solid and liquid metal leads, and (5) a UV-adhesive transparent substrate layer, demonstrating the integrated functionality of these materials. Further disclosed is a device for printing these fully integrated 3D devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Michael C. McAlpine, Yong Lin Kong
  • Patent number: 11225085
    Abstract: A control device is configured to: control a main scanning device and a sub-scanning device to print partial images by single partial printing in a first case where a specific condition is not satisfied, the specific condition indicating that ink supply to a printing head may be delayed in a partial printing and determined for each of the partial image, control the main scanning device and the sub-scanning device to print the partial images by a plurality of partial printings including a first partial printing and a second partial printing in a second case where the specific condition is satisfied, and determine a first area of the partial image to be printed by the first partial printing and a second area of the partial image to be printed by the second partial printing by using a pixel value information, in the second case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Kuno, Shota Morikawa, Satoru Arakane, Shin Hasegawa, Yoshiharu Furuhata
  • Patent number: 11214056
    Abstract: A driver circuit for receiving a voltage supply at a supply input and driving a load through a load output, the circuit comprising: a charge inductor and a discharge inductor; a switching array comprising a plurality of switches; and a load switch coupled between a first terminal of the charge inductor and the load output; the switching array being arranged so that: in a first mode it can couple a second terminal of the charge inductor to the supply input and the first terminal of the charge inductor to ground to load a flux on the charge inductor; in a second mode it can decouple the first terminal of the charge inductor from ground so that, when the load switch is closed, flux can flow from the inductor to the load output; and in a third mode it can couple the discharge inductor between the load output and ground so that flux can be loaded on the discharge inductor from the load output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fen Technology Limited
    Inventor: Kevin Lamb
  • Patent number: 11216708
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a presentation unit, a receiver, a storage, and a controller. The presentation unit is configured to present at least one piece of information on image quality for each of plural models of image forming apparatuses. The receiver is configured to receive a setting value related to image quality from the information on the image quality presented by the presentation unit. The storage is configured to store the setting value related to the image quality received by the receiver for each of the models of the image forming apparatuses. The controller is configured to control the image forming apparatus of a corresponding model according to the setting value related to the image quality stored by the storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iwasawa, Shingo Kato, Sawako Umeda
  • Patent number: 11207883
    Abstract: A liquid jet device includes a head that discharges liquid to an object; a moving mechanism that moves at least one of the object and the head; and a controller that causes the head to discharge the liquid while moving the at least one of the object and the head in a first direction to form a first row of dots, and causes the head to discharge the liquid while moving the at least one of the object and the head in a second direction opposite the first direction to form a second row of dots that overlaps the first row of dots. The controller causes the center of the first dot in the second row of dots to be shifted from the center of the last dot in the first row of dots by a distance greater than or equal to a distance d.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kaiba, Shuusei Murai
  • Patent number: 11207886
    Abstract: A print head includes ejecting portions ejecting liquid by being supplied with a high voltage signal, a switch group switching between whether or not to supply the high voltage signal to the first ejecting portion group in accordance with a low voltage logic signal, a memory, a high voltage signal input terminal, and a low voltage logic signal input terminal, the print head having a first mode in which the print head executes reading processing of reading information stored in the memory and does not execute ejection control processing of controlling whether or not to supply the high voltage signal to the first ejecting portion group by switching the switch group in accordance with an input signal input from the low voltage logic signal input terminal and a second mode in which the print head does not execute the reading processing and executes the ejection control processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Inventors: Eiji Takagi, Masanori Koizumi, Shunya Komatsu, Shuichi Nakano, Masashi Kamiyanagi, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11179931
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure has a nozzle configured to eject a liquid, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, a piezoelectric element that varying pressure in the pressure chamber, an endless transport belt transporting a medium, an electrifying section electrifying the transport belt, and a driving circuit that supplying, to the piezoelectric element, a micro-vibration pulse that generates micro-vibration in the liquid in the pressure chamber without causing the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle. The micro-vibration pulse is varied according to first data related to the state of a meniscus in the nozzle in a first state in which the nozzle and the transport belt electrified by the electrifying section face each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Yamaguchi, Daisuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11167559
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, an ink tank, a supply flow path, a supply pump located in the supply flow path, a collection flow path, a relief flow path connecting a first position in the supply flow path to a second position in the supply flow path, wherein the first position is located at a downstream side of the supply pump in the supply flow path and the second position located at an upstream side of the supply pump in the supply flow path, and a differential pressure regulating valve located in the relief flow path and configured to, in a case where the pressure of the pumped ink in the supply flow path is larger than a predetermined value, open the relief flow path so as to allow ink in the supply flow path to flow from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyoshiro Okude, Ryoma Arai, Toshiaki Tokisawa, Takashi Abe
  • Patent number: 11161350
    Abstract: A control device is configured to cause a print execution unit to print an image by repetitively executing: partial printing of causing a print head to eject ink while causing a main scanning unit to perform the main scanning; and conveying processing of causing a conveyor to perform a conveyance, and the control device is configured to execute: selection processing of selecting one of first processing and second processing for printing an Nth band area when the Nth band area includes a blank pixel line extending in a second direction; and execution processing of executing the one of the first processing and the second processing, and in the selection processing, the control device is configured to: select the second processing when a total count condition is satisfied; and select the first processing when the total count condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Yasuo Ono, Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 11141992
    Abstract: Provided is an inkjet printing apparatus including: a print head configured to eject a metallic ink containing silver particles; a carriage configured to scan the print head; and a control unit configured to print a metallic image by causing the print head to eject the metallic ink while scanning the print head; a reduction unit configured to control ink ejection from the print head so as to reduce coloring of a metallic dot formed by ejecting the metallic ink; and a setting unit capable of setting a plurality of printing modes including a first printing mode in which the reduction unit controls the ink ejection from the print head to reduce the coloring to a first degree, and a second printing mode in which the reduction unit controls the ink ejection from the print head to reduce the coloring to a second degree lower than the first degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsukasa Doi, Hiromitsu Yamaguchi, Akitoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 11110730
    Abstract: An inkjet printer apparatus includes a printing head including a plurality of nozzles for printing an ink in a plurality of pixels arranged as a matrix type in a target substrate, a control circuit which moves the printing head in an x-direction crossing an y-direction of a scan direction, and determines an optimal position for using largest nozzles, and a driving part which moves the printing head to the optimal position and moves the printing head along the y-direction in the optimal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dongsul Kim, Honggi Min, Minsoo Kim
  • Patent number: 11108029
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display panel including: preparing a substrate; forming pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix above the substrate; forming parallel column banks above the substrate in spaces between the pixel electrodes in a row direction; forming functional layers including organic light emitting layers in gaps between the column banks, including causing relative motion in the row direction between the substrate and a head provided with nozzles arranged along a column direction while ejecting ink from selected nozzles among the nozzles to supply a set of the gaps with an ink including an organic material; and forming a counter electrode above the functional layers. Among the set of the gaps, nozzle patterns of the selected nozzles for a gap differ between a first gap and a second gap in a sequence in the row direction of the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: JOLED INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kondo, Toshiki Nishikiori
  • Patent number: 11104163
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a head having a discharge surface in which a discharge port is opened, a pressure chamber which communicates with the discharge port, and an actuator which is configured to change a volume of the pressure chamber; a carriage configured to move the head in a scanning direction; a conveyor configured to move an object in a conveyance direction crossing the scanning direction; a posture changing mechanism configured to change a facing posture of the head with respect to the object; and a controller configured to control the actuator, the carriage, the conveyor and the posture changing mechanism, based on image data, to execute alternately and repeatedly a scanning operation and a conveying operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazunari Matsuura
  • Patent number: 11077659
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid discharging head having a first nozzle and a first piezoelectric element, a first driving signal generating circuit, a substrate on which the first driving signal generating circuit is provided, a first wire, and a first coil, in which the first driving signal generating circuit generates a first driving signal, the first piezoelectric element is driven based on the first driving signal to discharge liquid from the first nozzle, and the first wire is electrically coupled to the first driving signal generating circuit and propagates the first driving signal to the first piezoelectric element through the first coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventors: Tom Kashimura, Yuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11072170
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a recording head configured to discharge a liquid to form a pattern on a recording medium and a reading device configured to read the pattern. The apparatus further includes circuitry configured to form at least two first markers while moving the recording head relative to the recording medium in a head movement direction; form a second marker at one of positions of the at least two first markers, to form a pattern including a reference marker formed with one of the at least two first markers and a measurement marker in which the second marker is overlaid on another of the at least two first markers; and measure a distance between the reference marker and the measurement marker in the head movement direction based on information obtained by the reading device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Satoh, Kentaro Uehara
  • Patent number: 11046071
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid ejection die is described. The die includes a number of actuator sensors disposed on the fluid ejection die to sense a characteristic of a corresponding actuator. Each actuator sensor is coupled to a respective actuator and multiple coupled actuator sensors and actuators are grouped as primitives on the fluid ejection die. The die also includes an actuator evaluation die per primitive to evaluate an actuator characteristic of any actuator within the primitive. The die also includes a number of disable devices. Each disable device 1) is coupled to a respective actuator of the number of actuators and 2) disables a corresponding actuator when the corresponding actuator is determined to be malfunctioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Martin, Daryl E Anderson, James Michael Gardner
  • Patent number: 11025786
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a casing including a first side surface, and a second side surface opposing the first side surface in the first direction, and an NFC board and a USB board that are disposed in the casing. The NFC board has a first board surface. The USB board has a second board surface on which a USB port is mounted. The NFC board and The USB board that are disposed in the casing at a position closer to the first side surface in the first direction than the second side surface. The second board surface is located at a level different from the first board surface in the direction normal to the first board surface. The USB board does not overlap with the NFC board when viewed in the direction normal to the first board surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shingai, Yuji Takimoto
  • Patent number: 11014388
    Abstract: A test pattern formation method includes preparing a first pattern including a plurality of dot rows that are separated, and a second pattern including a plurality of regions having a width greater than a width of the plurality of dot rows and provided spaced apart by a plurality of gaps greater than or equal to the width of the plurality of dot rows. At least a portion of the first pattern and at least a portion of the second pattern are in positions overlapping each other. Given a largest overlap between one of the plurality of dot rows and one of the plurality of gaps as a reference, the other dot rows of the plurality of dot rows and the plurality of regions having a wide width overlap and are deviated from each other incrementally by a respective distance corresponding to a landing deviation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eishin Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 10978327
    Abstract: A micro-structure transfer system may include a printhead and a pressure control device to control a pressure of fluid coupled with the printhead. The pressure control device forms a meniscus of fluid at a number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up a number of micro-structures. A printhead for transferring micro-structures includes a number of fluid chambers, a number of nozzles defined in an orifice plate through which fluid may exit the chambers, and a pressure control device to control a pressure of fluid within each of the chambers. The pressure control device forms a meniscus of the fluid at a number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up a number of micro-structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ning Ge, Ya-Ling Chang, Helen A. Holder
  • Patent number: 10946659
    Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises a printhead and a controller. The printhead includes dies, each die comprising rows of nozzles, wherein, in an overlapping region, the rows of nozzles of two dies overlap in a first direction, in which a relative movement between the printhead and a print medium takes place during operation of the printing apparatus. The controller is to apply a first weaving mask to a first row of nozzles of a first die and a second weaving mask to a second row of nozzles of the first die, the second weaving mask being different from the first weaving mask, the weaving masks defining, independent of print data, which of the nozzles of the corresponding row are to be used for printing in the overlapping region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Leticia Rubio, Utpal Sarkar, Xavier Quintero Ruiz
  • Patent number: 10933647
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a tank having an ink chamber and formed with an inlet; a recording head; a display configured to display a screen; and a controller configured to control the recording head and the display. The tank has an outer wall. At least a portion of the outer wall allows the ink stored in the ink chamber to be visible from an outside. The recording head is configured to eject the ink stored in the ink chamber to record an image on a sheet. The controller is further configured to periodically execute a first notification process to control the display to display a first notification screen when the quantity of ink stored in the ink chamber is not less than a residual ink threshold. The first notification screen prompts a user to check the quantity of ink stored in the ink chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 10926535
    Abstract: A fluidic die may include a fluid actuator comprising an electrical resistor, a power node to supply electrical current to the resistor to drive the fluid actuator, a low side switch transistor connected to a ground node and having a gate to control the flow of electrical current through the resistor, a voltage regulator to receive electrical power from the power node and to output a predetermined voltage and a level shifter to control to output a low side switch transistor gate drive voltage using the predetermined voltage and based upon control signals to control the gate to control fluid displacement by the fluid actuator. The predetermined voltage is greater than a voltage of the control signals and is independent of a resistance of the ground node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott A Linn, Vincent C Korthuis, James M Gardner
  • Patent number: 10924630
    Abstract: A method is provided of digitally imaging a secure portion and a non-secure portion of scratch-off-coating protected documents of at least one game using middleware. The method includes: (a) generating the secure variable indicia in non-vector raster format; (b) generating vector graphics to be imaged on physical document locations; (c) assigning the secure variable indicia in a non-vector raster format to documents in and shuffling the documents throughout a print run; and (d) linking via middleware the secure variable indicia in the non-vector raster format to associated vector graphics variable indicia to be digitally imaged on the documents and to generate vector graphics-formatted data for each document in the print run. The secure variable indicia assignment and shuffling are executed by non-vector raster game generation software output that is reinterpreted by the middleware to produce related vector graphic output for the secure variable indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Hydragraphix
    Inventor: Fred W. Finnerty
  • Patent number: 10919292
    Abstract: An ejection apparatus includes: a feeding unit that feeds a recording medium; a first ejection unit that ejects droplets onto the recording medium to form plural detection images along a feeding direction of the recording medium, a detection unit that detects a distance from a predetermined origin of the recording medium to each of the detection images along the feeding direction; and a second ejection unit that is disposed on a downstream side relative to the first ejection unit in the feeding direction of the recording medium, and ejects droplets onto the recording medium at a timing based on a value obtained by adding an average value of differences between detection values of the detection unit and setting values to a setting value of the detection image on most downstream side in the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10913266
    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: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Ogi, Hisao Okita
  • Patent number: 10902800
    Abstract: Controlling privacy on a display includes a light-emitting diode (LED) pixel rotatably coupled to a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and a controller to control the MEMS, the MEMS to rotate the LED pixel in response to a command issued by the controller to modify a viewing angle of the LED pixel such that the privacy on the display for that LED pixel is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kuan-Ting Wu, Wei-Chung Chen, Xuan-Fang Shi
  • Patent number: 10882310
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid ejection die is described. The die includes a number of actuators to manipulate fluid. The actuators are disposed on the fluid ejection die and are grouped as primitives on the fluid ejection die. The fluid ejection die also includes a number of actuators sensors disposed on the fluid ejection die. The nozzle sensors receive a sense voltage indicative of a state of corresponding actuators. Each actuator sensor is coupled to a respective actuator. The fluid ejection die also includes an actuator evaluation device per primitive, which actuator evaluation device is disposed on the fluid ejection die. The actuator evaluation device evaluates an actuator characteristic of any actuator within the primitive and generates an output indicative of a failing actuator of the fluid ejection die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, Eric Martin, James Michael Gardner
  • Patent number: 10875293
    Abstract: In a print head, a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting metallic ink, including a solvent and particles for imparting a metallic gloss, are arranged in a predetermined direction. A plurality of printing scans are performed to the same area of the print medium to print an image on the print medium. In the printing scan, the metallic ink being ejected from the print head to a print medium while moving the print head in a scanning direction intersecting the predetermined direction. At least one of the plurality of printing scans is set as a first scan having a higher print ratio than the other printing scans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Yamaguchi, Fumitaka Goto, Yuto Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 10870293
    Abstract: When an image recording apparatus records an specific image over a boundary between a first dot formation range where dots are to be formed in a preceding recording operation of two consecutive recording operations and a second dot formation range where dots are to be formed in a subsequent recording operation of the two consecutive recording operations, the apparatus sets, as a correction portion, an end portion in a scanning direction of a specific region including at least one of a first boundary region adjacent to the second dot formation range and a second boundary region adjacent to the first dot formation range in the specific image, and forms the dot placed at the correction portion by discharging liquid of a discharge amount smaller than the discharge amount set for a dot element corresponding to the dot from nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Mimoto, Kengo Noda, Shohei Ichikawa, Yoshimitsu Taniguchi, Tsuyoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 10857804
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a tank having an ink chamber and formed with an inlet; a recording head; a display configured to display a screen; and a controller configured to control the recording head and the display. The tank has an outer wall. At least a portion of the outer wall allows the ink stored in the ink chamber to be visible from an outside. The recording head is configured to eject the ink stored in the ink chamber to record an image on a sheet. The controller is further configured to periodically execute a first notification process to control the display to display a first notification screen when the quantity of ink stored in the ink chamber is not less than a residual ink threshold. The first notification screen prompts a user to check the quantity of ink stored in the ink chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 10857790
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head including a drive IC that outputs the first signal and the second signal, and a wiring substrate having a first side and a second side longer than the first side, electrically connected to the drive IC, and propagating the first signal and the second signal, in which the wiring substrate includes a first electrode to which the first signal is input, a second electrode to which the second signal is input, a third electrode electrically connected to the first electrode, and a fourth electrode electrically connected to the second electrode, and in a direction along the second side, the second electrode is positioned between the first electrode and the third electrode, and the third electrode is positioned between the second electrode and the fourth electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventors: Osamu Tonomura, Eiju Hirai, Motoki Takabe, Toru Kashimura
  • Patent number: 10850505
    Abstract: A printhead includes a printing element; a first power supply wiring configured to be electrically connected to one terminal of the printing element and supply power to the printing element; a transistor configured to be electrically connected to another terminal of the printing element and drive the printing element; a first ground wiring configured to be electrically connected to a source of the transistor; a second ground wiring configured to be electrically connected to a back gate of the transistor; and a first capacitive element configured to be electrically connected, at one terminal thereof, to the first ground wiring and electrically connected at another terminal thereof, to the second ground wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kengo Umeda, Ryo Kasai
  • Patent number: 10850506
    Abstract: In some examples, a fluid ejection system can include one or more drive bubble devices and a sensor for each drive bubble device of the one or more drive bubble devices to detect a characteristic of each drive bubble device. The fluid ejection system can also include a controller. The controller can be configured to evaluate a first drive bubble device of the one or more drive bubble devices, and during the evaluation of the first drive bubble device, utilize one or more other drive bubble devices of the one or more drive bubble devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E Anderson, Eric Martin, James Michael Gardner, Tsuyoshi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10828890
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention, even though there is a print shift due to a gap between a nozzle in an upstream side and a nozzle in a downstream side of a printhead, a printing apparatus capable of precisely adjusting a slant of a printhead with respect to a conveyance direction in a nozzle surface of the printhead is provided. According to the embodiment, two adjustment patterns are printed at two different carriage speeds, respectively, and a print shift due to a slant of the nozzle surface of the printhead with respect to a conveyance direction of a print medium is adjusted based on these two print results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daigo Kuronuma, Masakazu Nagashima, Ryohei Maruyama, Tomohito Abe, Noriyuki Aoki, Naoaki Wada, Toshiaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10780691
    Abstract: A drive waveform generating device includes circuitry configured to generate a drive waveform to be applied to a pressure generation element of a liquid discharge head. The drive waveform including a first waveform and a second waveform continuous in time series with the first waveform. The first waveform includes a falling element to lower a potential from an intermediate potential to a lower potential lower than the intermediate potential, a raising element to raise the potential from the lower potential to a higher potential higher than the intermediate potential, and a potential holding element to hold the higher potential. The second waveform includes a raising element to raise the potential from the intermediate potential to a raised potential higher than the intermediate potential, a potential holding element to hold the raised potential, and a falling element to lower the potential from the raised potential to the intermediate potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Norimasa Sohgawa
  • Patent number: 10766249
    Abstract: The negative pressure in the ink chamber of a nozzle of a print head is reduced in a printing interruption phase, in particular upon transport of the print head from a cleaning position into a printing position, relative to the negative pressure in a printing phase. The leaking of ink during the printing interruption phase may thus be reliably avoided, and the print quality may be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Kay Luecke, Admir Lela
  • Patent number: 10768869
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of this invention, an image processing apparatus generates image data to be used to print an image on a print medium, based on a print job transmitted from a host, generates first print data by performing image processing on part of the generated image data, stores the first print data in a first memory, generates second print data by performing image processing on a remaining part of the generated image data, and stores the second print data in a second memory. The apparatus further transfers the first print data from the first memory to the second memory, composes the first print data and the second print data stored in the second memory, and transfers the composite data as print data to a continuous area of a third memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hironori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10744775
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer includes a conveyor, a carriage, a recording head, an ink receiver, a command receiver, and a controller. The controller executes: determining an ink amount that the recording head should discharge to the ink receiver; executing a flushing process that moves the carriage to an area facing the ink receiver and causes each of a plurality of nozzles to discharge ink of the determined ink amount; and based on the flushing process having finished, executing a recording process. The controller, based on the determined ink amount being less than a first threshold value, causes the recording head to discharge ink of the determined ink amount in ? times of the flushing processes, and based on the determined ink amount being the first threshold value or more, causes the recording head to discharge ink of the determined ink amount dispersed in ? (?>?) times of the flushing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 10744804
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a mounting unit where a recording medium is mountable, a head unit that ejects ink droplets to the recording medium, a planar direction driving unit that drives at least one of the head unit ejecting the ink droplets and the mounting unit to move in a planar direction and that changes a relative positions of the head unit and the mounting unit in the planar direction, and a height direction driving unit that changes a relative positions of the head unit and the mounting unit in a height direction perpendicular to the planar direction. The planar direction driving unit has a moving speed changing mechanism that changes a carriage speed between the head unit and the mounting unit in the planar direction. The height direction driving unit has a distance changing mechanism that changes a distance between the head unit and the mounting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 10740662
    Abstract: In a printing chip overlapping area being an area in which a first printing chip and a second printing chip overlap with each other when viewed from a second direction, ink is discharged so that a first overlapping area and a second overlapping area at least partially do not overlap with each other when viewed from the second direction. In the first overlapping area, a nozzle usage ratio of a first nozzle row and a nozzle usage ratio of a third nozzle row are neither 0% nor 100%. In the second overlapping area, a nozzle usage ratio of a second nozzle row and a nozzle usage ratio of a fourth nozzle row are neither 0% nor 100%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Doi
  • Patent number: 10730327
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a tank having an ink chamber and formed with an inlet; a recording head; a display configured to display a screen; and a controller configured to control the recording head and the display. The recording head is configured to eject the ink stored in the ink chamber to record an image on a sheet. The controller is configured to: execute a first determination process to determine whether a user is near the inkjet recording apparatus; and execute, after determination in the first determination process that the user is near the inkjet recording apparatus, a notification process to control the display to display a notification screen when the quantity of ink stored in the ink chamber is not less than a residual ink threshold. The notification screen prompts the user to check the quantity of ink stored in the ink chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 10730287
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device may include fluid actuators and an actuation controller. Each fluid actuator may have an associated address. The actuation controller is to receive an address for a fluid actuator of the device to be actuated and is further to automatically transmit one of different fire pulses based upon the received address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Vincent C Korthuis, Eric T Martin
  • Patent number: 10688783
    Abstract: A discharging apparatus includes: a discharging unit that includes a liquid chamber which stores a liquid intermittently supplied from a liquid supply source and a nozzle which discharges the liquid stored in the liquid chamber; a pressure detection unit that detects a pressure of the liquid supplied to the liquid chamber; and a control unit that controls the discharging unit based on a detection result from the pressure detection unit, in which the control unit limits liquid discharging by the discharging unit in a case where the pressure of the liquid supplied to the liquid chamber does not fall within an allowable pressure range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Machida, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10682866
    Abstract: A printing system includes a printing apparatus and a device. The printing apparatus includes a printing head, a fixture jig and a fixture platform. The printing head prints a design on a nail of a finger or toe. The fixture jig is detachable from the printing apparatus, includes a reference mark, and fixes the finger or toe. In the fixture platform, the fixture jig is set such that the reference mark and the nail of the finger or toe is in an X-Y plane. The device includes a communicator, an imaging unit and a processor. The communicator communicates with the printing apparatus. The imaging unit images the fixture jig with the finger or toe fixed thereon to obtain an image of the reference mark and the nail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tamotsu Irie
  • Patent number: 10682855
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head has: a nozzle plate defining a nozzle; a pressure generating section corresponding to a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle and the section configured to cause a liquid to be ejected from the nozzle; a common flow path through which the liquid is to be supplied to and discharged from the pressure chamber; and a vibration absorbing body configured to eliminate changes in pressure in the common flow path. The vibration absorbing body and the nozzle plate each define an inner wall of the common flow path and an outer wall of the liquid ejecting head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Uchida, Toshiro Murayama, Shunya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10639909
    Abstract: A direct-to-object printer includes a sliding arm that carries a plurality of printheads over a planar member for the printing of objects on the planar member and that rotates the plurality of printheads after the printheads have passed over the planar member. The printer then moves the sliding arm in the opposite direction over the planar member to print a different portion of the objects on the planar member while maintaining the same order of the printheads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Campbell