Seiko Epson Corporation

Technologies for precisely controlling the timing and volume of liquid droplet ejection, and for real-time or post-ejection monitoring of droplet trajectory, velocity, and nozzle health to maintain print accuracy and quality.

Innovations in the design and arrangement of piezoelectric or thermal actuators, drive electronics, and fluidic structures within the printhead to achieve precise and efficient liquid ejection.

Mechanisms and sensors for accurately conveying, positioning, loading, and managing various types of recording media (e.g., paper, fabric, labels) through a printing apparatus, and detecting their presence, type, or potential collision.

Design aspects of user-replaceable cartridges or containers for printing consumables (e.g., ink, tape, labels) that facilitate easy installation, proper positioning, type identification, and reliable supply to the printer.

Systems and components for projecting images, including light sources (e.g., laser), optical modulation elements (e.g., metasurfaces, spatial modulators), and optical paths for generating and displaying images.

Mechanisms and methods for preventing or removing clogs, ink residue, or contaminants from printhead nozzles and surfaces to ensure consistent print quality and extend printhead lifespan.

Mechanisms and control systems for reliably feeding, conveying, and separating print media, including managing media roll changes, adjusting airflow, and adapting to different media characteristics.

Algorithms and hardware implementations within display drivers or associated components to enhance visual quality, resolution, or color reproduction, including upscaling, dithering, and compensation for display artifacts like crosstalk.

Systems and components for storing, delivering, circulating, and managing printing liquids (e.g., ink) to the printhead, often including features for pressure regulation, filtration, degassing, and balancing liquid levels.

Systems that perform operations like cutting, folding, binding, or applying liquids to sheets or webs, often integrated within larger production lines such as printing or image forming apparatuses.

Methods and circuits for coordinating the timing of display signals, data transmission, and control signals across various display components, ensuring proper image rendering and efficient operation.

Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.

Methods and equipment for continuously shaping plastic materials by forcing them through a die, often involving screw extruders, heating elements, and downstream calibration.

Techniques for combining multiple materials or layers, often with specialized surface treatments, coatings, or assembly methods, to create functional or aesthetically enhanced plastic articles, including consumer goods and encapsulated electronics.

Optical systems and components specifically designed for head-mounted displays, augmented reality (AR) glasses, and virtual reality (VR) headsets, focusing on image projection, waveguide integration, and display durability.

Systems and methods for real-time sensing, modeling, and closed-loop control of additive manufacturing parameters to ensure part quality, consistency, and process efficiency. This includes thermal management, atmospheric regulation, and precise material deposition.

Methods and systems for monitoring the operational status, detecting anomalies, ensuring safe interaction, and preventing damage or injury in robotic systems.

Design and implementation of circuits and layouts for driving individual pixels or rows/columns of pixels, including gate drivers, data drivers, pixel driving circuits, and their integration onto the display substrate, often in non-display regions.

Mechanisms and control systems for precise movement of optical lens elements, often for autofocus, zoom, or image stabilization, utilizing various driving principles (e.g., piezoelectric) and low-friction components.

Novel formulations and mechanisms for initiating or controlling the polymerization and cross-linking of adhesives, including dual-curing systems, radical polymerization, and partial curing for tailored material properties.

Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.

Polymer compositions incorporating inorganic or organic filler materials to impart specific functional properties such as thermal conductivity, flame retardancy, electrical conductivity, or enhanced mechanical strength and dimensional stability.

Processes involving the application of heat and pressure to shape thermoplastic or elastomeric materials, often using molds or presses, to achieve specific forms or material properties.

Technologies that create dynamic and interactive visual content for displays, including virtual/wearable systems, by generating overlays, replacing input streams, or merging real-time user actions with digital environments.

Design and control of advanced robotic grippers, tools, and mechanical linkages for specific manipulation tasks or operating in challenging environments.

Systems that combine light sources, waveguides, and display elements into unified products for backlighting, automotive applications, general lighting, or color-corrected displays.

Methods and systems for improving the quality of video streams, generating intermediate frames, or continuously locating and following objects within a sequence of images, even under occlusion.

Methods and apparatus for improving the visual fidelity, resolution, or compression efficiency of video signals, often through advanced processing, up-scaling, or neural network-based filters.

Technologies for maintaining the correct path and alignment of webs or individual sheets during conveyance, including mechanisms for steering, correcting positional deviations, and managing static electricity.

Techniques and circuits for optimizing power consumption, voltage stability, and energy efficiency in display panels, often involving dynamic voltage scaling, duty cycle control, or remnant voltage management.

Apparatus and methods for automatically winding or unwinding continuous materials such as webs, cables, conduits, or yarns onto or from spools, reels, or bobbins, including aspects like layering, coreless winding, and material supply.

Development of sophisticated optical lens assemblies and computational methods to achieve high-resolution, precise, or specialized imaging, often for medical or scientific applications.

Development and application of polymer compositions designed for reprocessability, recyclability, or incorporating sustainable additives, often featuring reversible bonds or bio-based components.

Engineering of artificial subwavelength structures (meta-atoms) to create metasurfaces that manipulate light properties (phase, polarization, wavelength) for multi-functional optical devices.

Integration of additive manufacturing with subtractive manufacturing (e.g., machining, cutting) or other traditional processes within a single system or workflow to create parts with improved features, surface finish, or material properties, or to enable new manufacturing paradigms.

Techniques for rendering, interacting with, and managing content within augmented or virtual reality environments, including spatial tracking, gaze interaction, and dynamic multi-application display management.

Designing user interfaces and interaction methods specifically for mobile or wearable devices, enabling control of external systems, monitoring user states, or facilitating real-world transactions.

Computational methods and design principles for generating optimized geometries, internal structures (e.g., lattices, minimal surfaces), or functional features that are specifically enabled or enhanced by the capabilities of additive manufacturing.

Additives or compositions specifically formulated for surface application or modification to impart protective, decorative, or specialized functional properties to polymer products.

Methods and systems for uniquely identifying individual units of material (e.g., yarn spindles, winding spools, bobbins) and monitoring their performance or status within a material handling process, often using sensors and coding.

Systems that combine data from multiple camera sensors or capture multiple images from different perspectives or qualities, often involving image processing techniques like synthesis to create enhanced or comprehensive views.

Systems and methods that utilize optical fibers as sensing elements or for transmitting sensing signals, often for distributed monitoring of environmental conditions, phase changes, or integrating sensing with communication.

Techniques utilizing deep learning models like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) or diffusion models to create new images, modify existing ones, or generate synthetic data based on various inputs or conditions.

Methods and tooling for forming structural components from fibrous materials impregnated with resin, involving processes like prepreg handling, resin infusion, and co-bonding during curing.

Algorithms and systems for generating, optimizing, and executing trajectories for autonomous vehicles or robots to move through an environment, often involving obstacle avoidance, route validation, and goal reaching.

Methods and systems for displaying complex data in three-dimensional graphical formats, allowing users to manipulate, explore, and derive insights from the data through interactive controls.

Techniques and hardware for autonomous systems to gather and interpret data about their surroundings, including obstacle detection, object recognition, and depth estimation, to inform control decisions.

Mechanical structures and devices designed to support, stabilize, or mount cameras and related photographic equipment, often featuring quick-release mechanisms, damping, or adjustable components.