Two Xerox Corporation scientists, Raj Patel and Robert Yu, were awarded their 100th
U.S. patents in December 2003. That rare accomplishment capped a year in which Xerox and
its subsidiaries earned 628 U.S. utility patents on new materials, new technologies and new
ways of processing documents, bringing its total U.S. patents earned to nearly 16,000 - a
sum matched by only a handful of the nation's most creative companies.
Before now, only nine scientists in Xerox's 98-year history had reached the 100-patent
milestone.
Yu, a 22-year Xerox veteran and a physical polymer chemist in the Supplies Delivery Unit,
has specialized in perfecting a critical printer part called a photoreceptor. His work is
at the heart of more than 50 different models of Xerox monochrome and color copiers,
printers, and printing and publishing systems.
Yu's 100th patent, No. 6,660,441, was awarded in mid-December and describes a method for
eliminating curl on flexible photoreceptor belts, resulting in higher productivity, longer
belt life and improved image quality - a benefit to both customers and the company.
The following week Xerox chemist Raj Patel was awarded his 100th patent, No. 6,664,017.
Patel, a 25-year veteran of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada, is one of the company's
top experts in toner technology.
His most recent patent expands Xerox's document security know-how. The invention covers
two new ways to apply glossy white toner marks - either visible to the eye at a certain
angle or visible only under ultraviolet light - on documents for security or authentication
purposes. Key potential uses for the invention include sports tickets, manufacturers'
coupons and currency.
Both patents were among the 628 total patents issued to Xerox - including to its PARC
subsidiary - by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2003*. In addition, Xerox's
joint-venture partner in Japan, Fuji Xerox, received about 170, raising the overall patent
total for the Xerox Group to nearly 800 patents.
"Innovation has always been a core strength for Xerox, and our patent achievements
demonstrate the way Xerox people are pushing the frontiers of science, engineering and
technology," said Hervò Gallaire, chief technology officer and president, Xerox Innovation
Group. "Our scientists have created an innovation powerhouse, sustaining our technological
leadership and fueling the growth of Xerox and its customers."
Xerox provides unmatched expertise in document systems, services and solutions. Its
research is aligned to help customers increase the intelligence, quality and productivity
of documents and work processes, in the workplaces and commercial-printing environments
of today and in the future.
In addition to Patel's and Yu's patents, other new inventions from Xerox researchers cover
software architecture for Internet document delivery, plastic materials that conduct
electricity, smart systems for self-diagnosing and self-repairing printers and copiers,
and novel techniques to improve document image quality.
- U.S. Patent No. 6,573,910 describes a framework for providing print services on
demand over the Internet. With digital printing - a critical Xerox market - jobs are
increasingly submitted over the network, and the patented system will give its print
shop customers an advantaged method for bidding on and executing jobs.
- No. 6,621,099 covers a new class of plastic materials with electrical properties
that can be used as a conductive ink for printing electrical circuits onto surfaces
that flex and bend. In the future the materials could be used for inexpensive,
flexible, large-format printed electronics to drive flat displays, such as televisions
and monitors, and electronic paper.
- No. 6,519,552 is among a group of patents that point to ways next-generation
machines will diagnose problems and repair themselves. It covers intelligent
self-diagnosis capabilities that will allow machines to warn people before they fail,
and even correct themselves.
- No. 6,525,751 covers a sophisticated motor control method that allows multiple
laser beams to synchronously write image data on a belt moving at high speed. It
makes possible the extreme spatial precision required for printing color images of
the highest quality in Xerox's production printers.
- No. 6,646,762 describes a breakthrough color printing process that improves the
way input colors are adjusted to match the capabilities of the output device. This
technique accounts for the way people see, and the final color rendition appears to
have more detail, sharpness and color fidelity than with previous
techniques.
With close to 16,000 U.S. patents granted since the company's founding, Xerox ranks behind
only a few elite U.S. research organizations such as IBM, General Electric and ATT/Lucent
as the country's most prolific generator of inventions. Among Xerox's other intellectual
property highlights from 2003:
- Xerox received the IEEE's 2003 Corporate Innovation Recognition award for its
pioneering work that created the DocuTech production publishing line and resulted in
today's $30 billion print-on-demand industry. The IEEE, the world's largest technical
professional society, recognized DocuTech as a breakthrough technology based on an
astonishing array of innovations - a legacy that Xerox continues to lead and build on
today.
- To capitalize even further on its innovation, Xerox appointed IPVALUE Management
as its worldwide agent for the commercialization of intellectual property, including
patent licensing, technology licensing and technology transfer to other companies.
Xerox Corporation operates research and technology centers in the United States, Canada
and Europe that conduct work in color science, computing, digital imaging, work practices,
electromechanical systems, novel materials and other disciplines connected to Xerox's
expertise in printing and document management. The company consistently builds its
inventions into business by embedding them in superior Xerox products and solutions,
using them as the foundation of new businesses, or licensing or selling them to other
entities. Xerox research is strategically coordinated with that of its joint-venture
partner, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd. of Japan.
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