Patents by Inventor Robert A. Freitas, Jr.

Robert A. Freitas, Jr. 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).

  • Patent number: 8760972
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8755252
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8743660
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8743659
    Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods for using acoustics to communicate between a macro-scale transceiver and a micro-device or between multiple micro-devices. The micro-devices may passively scatter sound from a transceiver or actively generate sound. Acoustic waves can also provide power to a micro-device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventors: Tad Hogg, Robert A. Freitas, Jr., Daniel Reda
  • Publication number: 20130184461
    Abstract: Mechanosynthesis trajectories are described which are approximately coaxial, and are shown to be useful in a wide range of mechanosynthesis reactions regardless of the nature of the tip or the feedstock being transferred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Publication number: 20130178626
    Abstract: Processes are described for manufacturing atomically-precise tips using one or more tips in one or more mechanosynthetic reactions to create one or more atomically-precise tips. The processes may employ a variety of feedstock, binding any of a wide range of atoms to a workpiece to build the one or more atomically-precise tips. The processes result in atomically-precise mechanosynthesis tips with a wide variety of possible tip structures using a wide range of feedstock binding elements. Characteristics of such tips that may be used when designing new embodiments are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Publication number: 20130178627
    Abstract: Methods and systems for building three-dimensional workpieces are described using a plurality of mechanosynthetic reactions. These methods may employ engineered reliability in reactions and process conditions and may use simulated or otherwise vetted reaction sequences, to allow workpieces requiring many reactions to be built with acceptable reliability. These many reactions may be the repetition of one or a small number of reactions, or many diverse reactions, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Patent number: 8276211
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, Jr., Ralph C. Merkle
  • Patent number: 7687146
    Abstract: A method is described for building a mechanosynthesis tool intended to be used for the molecularly precise fabrication of physical structures—as for example, diamond structures. An exemplar tool consists of a bulk-synthesized dimer-capped triadamantane tooltip molecule which is initially attached to a deposition surface in tip-down orientation, whereupon CVD or equivalent bulk diamond deposition processes are used to grow a large crystalline handle structure around the tooltip molecule. The large handle with its attached tooltip can then be mechanically separated from the deposition surface, yielding an integral finished tool that can subsequently be used to perform diamond mechanosynthesis in vacuo. The present disclosure is the first description of a complete tool for positional diamond mechanosynthesis, along with its method of manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Zyvex Labs, LLC
    Inventor: Robert A. Freitas, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20090093659
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventors: Robert A. Freitas, JR., Ralph C. Merkle