Photonically activated fluid dispensing system and methods
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsTony Cruz-Uribe, Morad Samii, Scott Hock, Marshall Field
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Abstract
A fluid dispensing system, including a photon source disposed on a moveable carriage and a fluid ejector array having a plurality of fluid ejection elements disposed on a substrate. Each fluid ejection element includes a fluid ejector, and a photodetector electrically coupled to the fluid ejector. Moving said photon source over at least a portion of the fluid ejector array, selectively illuminates the photodetectors, thereby selectively activating the fluid ejectors coupled to the illuminated photodetectors.
Claims47
-63. (canceled)
A method of manufacturing a fluid dispensing system, comprising:
- mounting a photon source on a moveable carriage;
- creating an array of fluid ejectors disposed on a substrate;
- creating an array of photodetectors on said substrate;
- and
- coupling said array of photodetectors to said array of fluid ejectors;
- wherein moving said photon source over at least a portion of said array of photodetectors, selectively illuminates said array of photodetectors, thereby selectively activating said fluid ejectors coupled to said illuminated photodetectors.
A method of using a dispensing system, comprising:
- moving a photon source mounted in a moveable carriage over at least a portion of an array of photodetectors;
- activating said photon source to selectively emit photons photonically couplable to a predetermined photodetector of said array of photodetectors;
- photo-generating a fluid ejector activation signal in said predetermined photodetector;
- coupling said activation signal to a fluid ejector of an array of fluid ejectors;
- and
- activating said fluid ejector to eject a fluid.
(canceled)
A method of using a dispensing system, comprising:
- moving a photon source mounted in a moveable carriage over at least a portion of an array of photodetectors;
- selectively illuminating photodetectors of said array of photodetectors;
- selectively activating a fluid ejector coupled to said illuminated photodetector, thereby ejecting a fluid.
-92. (canceled)
A method of manufacturing a fluid dispensing system, comprising:
- mounting a photon source on a moveable carriage;
- and
- coupling an array of phototransistors to an array of fluid ejectors, said array of phototransistors disposed on a substrate and said array of fluid ejectors disposed on said substrate, wherein moving said photon source over at least a portion of said array of phototransistors, selectively illuminates said array of phototransistors, thereby selectively activating said fluid ejectors coupled to said illuminated phototransistors.
A method of manufacturing a fluid dispensing system, comprising:
- step for mounting a photon source on a moveable carriage;
- and
- step for coupling an array of phototransistors to an array of fluid ejectors, said array of phototransistors disposed on a substrate and said array of fluid ejectors disposed on said substrate, wherein moving said photon source over at least a portion of said array of phototransistors, selectively illuminates said array of phototransistors, thereby selectively activating said fluid ejectors coupled to said illuminated phototransistors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.