Photonically activated fluid ejector apparatus and methods
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsAntonio S. Cruz-Uribe, Mohammad M Samii, Scott W Hock, Marshall Field
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Abstract
A fluid ejector head, including a fluid ejector disposed on an ejector support, and a photodetector electrically coupled to the fluid ejector. The fluid ejector head also includes a photon source photonically coupled only to the photodetector. Photons emitted from the photon source interact with the photodetector and generate an activation signal. The activation signal in turn activates the fluid ejector ejecting a fluid away from the fluid ejector.
Claims68
A fluid ejector head, comprising:
- a fluid ejector disposed on an ejector support;
- a photodetector electrically coupled to said fluid ejector;
- and
- an electroluminescent photon source photonically coupled to said photodetector, wherein photons emitted from said electroluminescent photon source interact with said photodetector generating an activation signal activating said fluid ejector ejecting a fluid away from said fluid ejector.
A fluid ejector head, comprising:
- means for generating an energy impulse to a fluid, disposed on an ejector support;
- means for electroluminescently emitting photons mounted to said ejector support;
- and
- means for detecting photons photonically coupled to said means for electroluminescently emitting photons, and said means for detecting photons electrically coupled to said means for generating an energy pulse, wherein photons emitted from said means for electroluminescently emitting interact with said means for detecting generating an activation signal activating said means for generating an energy impulse ejecting a fluid away from said means for generating.
A method of manufacturing a fluid ejector head, comprising:
- creating a fluid ejector disposed on an ejector support;
- electrically coupling a photodetector to said fluid ejector;
- and
- photonically coupling an electroluminescent photon source to said fluid ejector;
- wherein photons emitted from said electroluminescent photon source interact with said photodetector generating an activation signal activating said fluid ejector ejecting a fluid away from said fluid ejector.
A method of using a fluid ejector head, comprising:
- activating an electroluminescent photon source to emit photons photonically coupled to a photodetector;
- photo-generating a fluid ejector activation signal in said photodetector;
- electrically-coupling said activation signal to a fluid ejector;
- and
- activating said fluid ejector to eject a fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.