Patents by Inventor Joachim Walter Ahner
Joachim Walter Ahner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9784688Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a reflective surface configured to reflect photons onto a surface of an article, a stage configured to support the article, and an assembly. The assembly is configured to radiate photons through the article to the reflective surface. The assembly is further configured to image the article with irradiance of the photons.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2013Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Maissarath Nassirou, Florin Zavaliche
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Patent number: 9766184Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including two photon emitters and a photon detector array. The two photon emitters are configured to emit photons onto an entire surface of an article. The photon detector array includes a number of photon detectors configured to detect photons scattered from features in the entire surface of the article, wherein the features are less than 500 nm in their largest dimension.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2015Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott
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Patent number: 9766179Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including an optical characterization device; a photon detector array configured to sequentially receive a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article and subsequently processed by the optical characterization device; and a chemical characterization means for chemically characterizing the surface features of the article, wherein the chemical characterization means is configured for processing the first set of photons received by the photon detector array and the second set of photons received by the photon detector array.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2016Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Maissarath Nassirou, Henry Luis Lott, David M. Tung, Florin Zavaliche, Stephen Keith McLaurin
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Publication number: 20170082553Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including a photon emitter array. The photon emitter array includes a number of photon emitters selectively oriented in a number of polarized orientations. The photon emitters are configured to controllably emit photons onto a surface of an article. The apparatus also includes a photon detector positioned to receive photons scattered from features on the surface of the article. The photon detector simultaneously receives photons oriented in the number of polarized orientations. In addition, the photon detector provides information for mapping the features on the surface of the article.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2016Publication date: March 23, 2017Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David Marcus Tung
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Patent number: 9581554Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including at least two photon emitters, each with a preselected polarization orientation, and configured to emit polarized photons onto a surface of an article, and a processing means configured to process photon-detector-array signals corresponding to photons scattered from surface features of the article, and generate one or more surface features maps for the article from the photon-detector-array signals corresponding to the photons scattered from the surface features of the article.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung
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Patent number: 9488594Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a mapping means for generating a map of locations of surface features of an article based on photon-detector signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features of the article, and a surface feature manager. The surface manager is configured to locate a predetermined surface feature of the surface features of the article based, at least in part, on the map of the surface features locations, irradiate photons of a first power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to analyze the predetermined surface feature, and irradiate photons of a second power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to remove the predetermined surface feature.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2016Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Seagate Technology, LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung
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Publication number: 20160274037Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured for sequentially emitting a first set of photons and a second set of photons onto a surface of an article. In addition, a photon detector array is configured to focus the first set of photons scattered from surface features of the article in a first focal plane. The photon detector array is further configured to focus the second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article in a second focal plane, wherein the first set of photons scattered is different from the second set of photons scattered. The photon detector array is further configured to provide information for distinguishing foreign surface features of the article from native surface features of the article.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2016Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Maissarath Nassirou, Florin Zavaliche
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Patent number: 9377394Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon detector array; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article focused in a first focal plane and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of an article focused in a second focal plane, wherein the processing means is further configured for distinguishing foreign surface features of the article from foreign native features of the article.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2013Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Maissarath Nassirou, Florin Zavaliche
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Publication number: 20160178513Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including an optical characterization device; a photon detector array configured to sequentially receive a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article and subsequently processed by the optical characterization device; and a chemical characterization means for chemically characterizing the surface features of the article, wherein the chemical characterization means is configured for processing the first set of photons received by the photon detector array and the second set of photons received by the photon detector array.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2016Publication date: June 23, 2016Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Maissarath Nassirou, Henry Luis Lott, David M. Tung, Florin Zavaliche, Stephen Keith McLaurin
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Publication number: 20160169802Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article, a photon detector array configured to receive photons from surface features of the article; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features and photons fluoresced from the surface features, wherein the processing means is further configured for classifying the surface features of the article.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Maissarath Nassirou, Florin Zavaliche
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Publication number: 20160139060Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a mapping means for generating a map of locations of surface features of an article based on photon-detector signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features of the article, and a surface feature manager. The surface manager is configured to locate a predetermined surface feature of the surface features of the article based, at least in part, on the map of the surface features locations, irradiate photons of a first power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to analyze the predetermined surface feature, and irradiate photons of a second power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to remove the predetermined surface feature.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2016Publication date: May 19, 2016Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung
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Patent number: 9297759Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article, a photon detector array configured to receive photons from surface features of the article; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features and photons fluoresced from the surface features, wherein the processing means is further configured for classifying the surface features of the article.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Maissarath Nassirou, Florin Zavaliche
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Patent number: 9297751Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including an optical characterization device; a photon detector array configured to sequentially receive a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article and subsequently processed by the optical characterization device; and a chemical characterization means for chemically characterizing the surface features of the article, wherein the chemical characterization means is configured for processing the first set of photons received by the photon detector array and the second set of photons received by the photon detector array.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Maissarath Nassirou, Henry Luis Lott, David M. Tung, Florin Zavaliche, Stephen Keith McLaurin
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Publication number: 20160077018Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including two photon emitters and a photon detector array. The two photon emitters are configured to emit photons onto an entire surface of an article. The photon detector array includes a number of photon detectors configured to detect photons scattered from features in the entire surface of the article, wherein the features are less than 500 nm in their largest dimension.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2015Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott
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Publication number: 20160069815Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article. In addition, the apparatus includes a photon detector array configured to receive photons scattered from surface features and magnetic features of the article. The photon detector array is configured to provide information for mapping the magnetic features.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Inventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Stephen Keith McLaurin
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Patent number: 9274064Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a mapping means for generating a map of locations of surface features of an article based on photon-detector signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features of the article, and a surface feature manager. The surface manager is configured to locate a predetermined surface feature of the surface features of the article based, at least in part, on the map of the surface features locations, irradiate photons of a first power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to analyze the predetermined surface feature, and irradiate photons of a second power onto the location of the predetermined surface feature to remove the predetermined surface feature.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2014Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung
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Patent number: 9217715Abstract: Provided herein are apparatuses and methods related thereto, wherein at least one apparatus includes: a photon emitting means configured to emit photons, wherein the photons are scattered from magnetic features of an article; a photon detector array configured to receive scattered photons; and a processing means configured to differentiate the magnetic features from the scattered photons.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Stephen Keith McLaurin
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Patent number: 9212900Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon detector array configured to receive photons scattered from features in a surface of an article; and a characterization means for characterizing the features in the surface of the article, wherein the characterization means contrasts signals from the photon detector array corresponding to two sets of photons scattered from features in the surface of the article, and the two sets of photons respectively originate from photon emitters at different locations.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2013Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Stephen Keith McLaurin, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Henry Luis Lott
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Publication number: 20150285743Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including an imaging lens assembly configured to collect reflected light from a surface of an article; an image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the imaging lens assembly, wherein the imaging lens assembly and the image sensor are each arranged at different angles for focusing on substantially an entire surface of an article; and a processing means configured to process signals from the image sensor corresponding to polarized reflected light and subsequently generate one or more features maps.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2014Publication date: October 8, 2015Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: David M. Tung, Joachim Walter Ahner
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Publication number: 20140354982Abstract: Provided herein are apparatuses and methods related thereto, wherein at least one apparatus includes: a photon emitting means configured to emit photons, wherein the photons are scattered from magnetic features of an article; a photon detector array configured to receive scattered photons; and a processing means configured to differentiate the magnetic features from the scattered photons.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2014Publication date: December 4, 2014Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, David M. Tung, Stephen Keith McLaurin