InvenSpan: Patents, Applications and Contribution

Demonstrating the Patent Power of Andy Van Brocklin, Principal Consultant. His portfolio of patents demonstrates performance - for your future.

Showing intense creativity and technical skill, below is a list of the Principal Consultant Andy Van Brocklin’s many granted patents and visible applications. 

There are also about 10 or more applications filed but that are not visible. These are kept confidential by the patent office and also typically by the company filing them. It is often strategically smart to keep this information secret, as it provides early insight into a company’s technology development. The confidentiality period helps the company get an edge on competitors.  It takes 18 months after the filing date before the US patent office (USPTO) publishes applications on their site.

Typically it takes around two years in total from the filing of a US patent application to receiving a grant. A prioritized application costs an additional fee, but this means the US patent office will attempt to come to a grant decision in 12 months or less. Otherwise, the average time to come to a decision (the total pendancy) is currently around 24 months as shown in the USPTO dashboard. 

Many of Andy’s patent applications have been filed internationally as well as in the US. This is significant due to the large expense of filing internationally. Patents filed internationally have to be seen as highly valuable to the company filing them, due to the large financial return needed to justify the expense of filing.

A really positive and unusual aspect of Andy’s patent portfolio is the high rate of patent grants from applications. His portfolio has, from the year 2000 to date, a 78% grant to file ratio! Typically in the industry, utility patents have only a 12% grant to file ratio. What that means is that Andy’s grant to to file performance about 6.5 times the industry average. This really saves a company money, as filing each patent is costly. Having the granted patents also tends to attract enthusiastic investment. Investors see the granted patents as protecting future profits from competitors as well as additional evidence of a company’s value. Patents can also often be used as collateral for loans to enable growth.

Year after year, Andy has been reliably producing significant IP. His efforts accelerated and enabled product creation on multiple projects. 

NumberPAT. Or APP. NO.Title
App#720210331381 SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND INTERFACES
App#620210331248 THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTED COMPONENT SETTER GENERATION
App#520210331246 REMOVING COMPONENTS OF LIQUID AGENTS IN 3D PRINTING
App#420210325113 TRANSMITTING AND DETECTING LIGHT WITH OPTICAL FIBER DURING SINTERING
App#320210283834 THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING
App#220210237357SELECTING A DEPOWDERING PROCESS FOR 3D PRINTING
App#120210094237THREE DIMENSIONAL (3D) PRINTING
19411,065,867Detecting a drive bubble formation and collapse
19310,836,159Apparatus with microelectromechanical die and application specific integrated circuit
19210,654,268Modifying firing parameters for printheads
19110,513,113Printhead circuit
19010,493,752Detecting a drive bubble formation and collapse
18910,434,766Bias current control for print nozzle amplifier
18810,421,273Method and apparatus to regulate temperature of printheads
18710,369,785Inkjet printhead device, fluid ejection device, and method thereof
18610,336,089Printheads with sensor plate impedance measurement
18510,315,414Printhead waveform voltage amplifier
18410,308,035Fluid level sensor and related methods
18310,272,428Microfluidic sensing device and system
18210,189,248 Printhead with microelectromechanical die and application specific integrated circuit
18110,183,488Printer fluid impedance sensing in a printhead
18010,124,582Method and apparatus to regulate temperature of printheads
17910,112,390Piezoelectric fluid ejection assembly
17810,076,905Piezoelectric printhead assembly
17710,040,280Printhead circuit with trimming
17610,016,974Actuating element driver circuit with trim control
1759,962,949Printheads with sensor plate impedance measurement
1749,956,765Inkjet printing system, fluid ejection system, and method thereof
1739,950,517Detecting a drive bubble formation and collapse
1729,925,787Fluid level sensor and related methods
1719,925,767Waveform selection and/or scaling for driving nozzle of fluid-jet printing device
1709,862,186Inkjet printhead device, fluid ejection device, and method thereof
1699,862,183Printhead waveform voltage amplifier
1689,855,746Piezoelectric printhead assembly
1679,776,404Piezoelectric printhead assembly
1669,701,116Determining an issue in an inkjet nozzle with impedance measurements
1659,586,410Inkjet printing system, fluid ejection system, and method thereof
1649,579,885Method and system to store drop counts
1639,517,630Inkjet printing system, fluid ejection system, and method thereof
1629,511,596Replaceable printing component with factory identity code
1619,463,622Determining an issue in an inkjet nozzle with impedance measurements
1609,452,604Fluid level sensor and related methods
1599,421,764Waveform selection and/or scaling for driving nozzle of fluid-jet printing device
1589,409,393Detecting a drive bubble formation and collapse
1579,352,564Determining an issue in an inkjet nozzle with impedance measurements
1569,327,512Inkjet printhead device, fluid ejection device, and method thereof
1559,289,977Bias current reduction for print nozzle amplifier
1549,283,747Fluid ejection devices and methods thereof
1539,266,321Replaceable printing component with factory identity code
1529,221,251Adaptive level shifter for print nozzle amplifier
1519,044,942Thermal sensing fluid ejection assembly and method
1509,044,936Inkjet issue determination
1498,899,709Determining an issue with an inkjet nozzle using an impedance difference
1488,882,213Fluid ejection systems and methods thereof
1478,864,280Switchable feedback damping of drop-on-demand piezoelectric fluid-ejection mechanism
1468,828,570Battery temperature sensor
1458,789,932Printhead and related methods and systems
1448,770,707Drop detector assembly and method
1438,770,692Crosstalk reduction in piezo printhead
1428,757,750Crosstalk reduction in piezo printhead
1418,540,355Fluid ejection device with circulation pump
1408,513,833Circuit limiting an absolute voltage difference between electrical paths of photovoltaic dies
1398,497,891Enhancing optical density
1388,353,567Drive waveform generation
1378,319,969Color detector having area scaled photodetectors
1368,262,201Micro writing and reading
1358,257,906Multi-layered radiation imageable coating
1348,254,232Indication of optically writable optical disc surface incident to laser
1338,126,141Interferometric communication
1327,935,404System and method for marking an optical disk
1317,933,191Optical disc drive having two optomechanical mechanisms
1307,916,164Labeling methods and apparatus using energy of two wavelengths
1297,890,968Optical disc device having two optomechanical mechanisms
1287,889,220Device and method for maintaining optical energy density on a medium
1277,816,722Memory array
1267,768,878Actuator calibration using a focus error signal
1257,733,298Display device
1247,729,216Methods and apparatus for marking media with collimated electromagnetic radiation beam
1237,728,912Display system
1227,724,627Encoder spokes detection prior to forming image on optically writable label surface of optical disc
1217,679,633Facilitating focusing of a multi-function digital media drive
1207,678,438Optical media
1197,676,119Method and system for using an optical sensor array to control a labeling device
1187,672,213Optical print head using a glass arm waveguide
1177,670,659Substrate marking using encapsulated materials
1167,657,487Apparatus and method for providing data storage device security
1157,656,573Method and apparatus for controlling a gap between conductors in an electro-mechanical device
1147,636,280Calibration of lens position in an optical disc drive
1137,577,063Calibration of a focus offset in an optical drive
1127,569,331Conductive patterning
1117,551,524Methods and apparatus to compensate for power output variations over time
1107,538,889Calibration feedback-control circuit for diffraction light devices
1097,532,226Bleaching the background of a medium
1087,515,514Approximating topology of optically writable medium surface
1077,515,165Laser power calibration in an optical disc drive
1067,514,661Focus calibration in an optical drive
1057,486,263Electrostatic device
1047,483,184Method and system for using an optical sensor array to control a labeling device
1037,477,274Thermally sensitive medium and methods and systems for forming an image on a thermally sensitive medium
1027,443,772Focus offset calibration
1017,443,581Adjustable optical characteristic
1007,439,997System and method for controlling a multi-function digital media drive
997,433,114Phase change electophoretic imaging for rewritable applications
987,400,489System and a method of driving a parallel-plate variable micro-electromechanical capacitor
977,397,217Measuring fuel by counting coulombs
967,379,083Optical disc drive focusing apparatus
957,372,714Methods and memory structures using tunnel-junction device as control element
947,370,978Encrypting data
937,364,780Thermally-sensitive medium with Fabry-Perot cavities
927,358,966Selective update of micro-electromechanical device
917,333,126Optical disc having layers corresponding to different colors and sensitive to optical beam wavelengths
907,327,056Marked hub for sensing motor speed
897,324,419Focus control via AC input signal
887,324,128Synchronization of pixilated labeling media
877,315,493Apparatus and method for calibrating a laser imagible apparatus
867,301,879Optical print head
857,298,677Optical disc drive apparatus and method
847,290,221User interface, method and apparatus for providing three-dimensional object fabrication status
837,286,120Large area display and method of manufacturing same
827,239,587Approximating topology of optical disc surface
817,239,582Interpolation of optical disc vertical displacement information
807,218,499Charge control circuit
797,213,939Hue adjusting lighting system
787,212,292Interferometer calibration methods and apparatus
777,201,732Dispensing method and device for delivering material to an eye
767,188,348Optical disc drive apparatus and method
757,187,637Opto-mechanical adjustment based on sensing label side of optical disc
747,184,199Phase change electrophoretic imaging for rewritable applications
737,177,246Optical disk drive focusing apparatus using sum signal
727,161,609Multiple-bit storage element for binary optical display element
717,148,088Memory structure and method making
707,145,586Marking optical disc based on information related to data side thereof
697,133,036Display with data group comparison
687,130,207Methods and memory structures using tunnel-junction device as control element
677,125,644Systems and methods for storing data on an optical disk
667,110,122Interferometer calibration methods and apparatus
657,103,896Mechanism to aid optical beam focusing on optical disc
647,084,894Optical disc drive focusing apparatus
637,072,108Enhanced contrast projection screen
627,061,681Fabry-Perot interferometer
617,057,928System and method for erasing high-density non-volatile fast memory
607,057,258Resistive memory device and method for making the same
597,038,878Micromover configured to move a magnetic storage medium in perpendicular directions in a plane
587,031,185Data storage device and method of forming the same
577,019,381Method of providing multiple logical bits per memory cell
566,970,285Phase change electrophoretic imaging for rewritable applications
556,967,350Memory structures
546,967,149Storage structure with cleaved layer
536,958,946Memory storage device which regulates sense voltages
526,940,085Memory structures
516,937,509Data storage device and method of forming the same
506,917,532Memory storage device with segmented column line array
496,897,506Systems and methods using non-volatile memory cells
486,893,951Vertical interconnection structure and methods
476,888,657Multiple-bit storage element for binary optical display element
466,879,525Feedback write method for programmable memory
456,873,543Memory device
446,872,437Optical disc with pseudorandom series of marks on optical disc track
436,870,751Low-energy writing in cross-point array memory devices
426,858,883Partially processed tunnel junction control element
416,853,486Enhanced contrast projection screen
406,847,350Optical pointing device
396,842,369Intermesh memory device
386,839,275Memory system having control circuit configured to receive data, provide encoded received data to match a fault pattern in the array of memory cells
376,839,263Memory array with continuous current path through multiple lines
366,831,861Methods and memory structures using tunnel-junction device as control element
356,826,077Magnetic random access memory with reduced parasitic currents
346,821,848Tunnel-junction structures and methods
336,818,549Buried magnetic tunnel-junction memory cell and methods
326,781,858Cubic memory array
316,777,270Resistive memory for data storage devices
306,774,458Vertical interconnection structure and methods
296,737,686Non-volatile programmable memory device
286,717,234Resistive memory for data storage devices
276,717,215Memory structures
266,711,045Methods and memory structures using tunnel-junction device as control element
256,707,698Dual memory cell
246,707,087Structure of chalcogenide memory element
236,703,652Memory structure and method making
226,687,147Cubic memory array with diagonal select lines
216,677,220Antifuse structure and method of making
206,661,691Interconnection structure and methods
196,643,159Cubic memory array
186,597,794Portable electronic device having an external speaker chamber
176,570,795Defective memory component of a memory device used to represent a data bit in a bit sequence
166,559,516Antifuse structure and method of making
156,552,713Optical pointing device
146,549,447Memory cell structure
136,534,841Continuous antifuse material in memory structure
126,501,697High density memory sense amplifier
116,472,848Reducing battery discharge current by throttling CPU power
106,449,575Voltage control of integrated circuits
96,393,371Voltage control of integrated circuits
86,304,824Voltage control of integrated circuits
76,266,241Notebook computer with ergonomic stand
66,191,546Proportional integral cooling device controller for electronic device
56,167,955Multi-mode heat transfer using a thermal heat pipe valve
46,160,719Custom docking tray for EMI reduction
36,047,766Multi-mode heat transfer using a thermal heat pipe valve
26,011,371Proportional integral fan controller for electronic device
15,929,581Proportional integral fan controller for computer