Patents by Inventor Ulrich Hofmann
Ulrich Hofmann 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: 6912323Abstract: A fast convolution method applicable to convolving a signal (indicative of an n-dimensional pattern, where n is greater than or equal to two) with a smooth kernel that can be approximated by a separated-spline kernel, and a system configured to perform such method using software or signal processing circuitry. Unlike Fourier-based convolution methods which require on the order of N log N arithmetic operations for a signal of length N, the method of the invention requires only on the order of N arithmetic operations to do so. Unlike wavelet-based convolution approximations (which typically also require more arithmetic operations than are required in accordance with the invention to convolve the same signal), the method of the invention is exact for convolution kernels which are spline kernels.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2001Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: David Jeremy Copeland, Richard E. Crandall, Ulrich Hofmann, Richard L. Lozes
-
Patent number: 6895784Abstract: A device for machine knitting with at least one continuous yarn, in which the yarn, by a hook part of a knitting needle, is passed in a loop through a previously formed loop and forms a new loop, in which the knitting needle, below a needle hook, has a slot into which a downward-oriented transfer hook movable in a vertical direction can be introduced, and the transfer hook is introducable into the slot by a simultaneously controllable transverse motion.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2002Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Groz-Beckert KGInventor: Ulrich Hofmann
-
Patent number: 6854295Abstract: An improved knitting tool, comprising a loop-drawing needle (2) and a transfer needle (3), is improved in terms of its operational reliability, its versatility of use, and its knitting speed, by providing that the loop-drawing needle (2) has a cheek region (12) which is widened compared to the rest of the shank (5) and which is provided with a noucat (16). On the end of the cheek region (12) remote from the hook (9) of the loop-drawing needle (2), a control face (36) is provided, along which the transfer needle (3) runs with its control face (37), as a result of which the spacing between the loop-drawing needle (2) and the transfer needle (3) changes. The transfer hook (26) of the transfer needle (3) is wider than the hook (9) of the loop-drawing needle, and the hook tip is sharpened or pointed in order to fit into the noucat (16) in the loop-drawing needle, Because the transfer hook (26) is embodied as especially wide, the operating safety is increased substantially.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2003Date of Patent: February 15, 2005Assignee: Groz-Beckert KGInventor: Ulrich Hofmann
-
Publication number: 20040248727Abstract: A molecular sieve is made by reacting an ammonium-exchanged low silica X-type zeolite precursor with lithium hydroxide, at a pressure of about 200 millibar or less, and at a temperature of about 60° or less. The zeolite precursor is preferably an X-type zeolite, in which the silicon to aluminum atomic ratio is less than about 1.02. The lithium is provided in an amount which is stoichiometrically equivalent to the amount of ammonium present. The molecular sieve is especially useful in separating air into components using PSA or VPSA processes, and has improved productivity and yield as compared with materials of the prior art. The advantages of the molecular sieve enable it to be provided in the form of beads having relatively large diameter, which reduces the pressure drop across the adsorber bed, and reduces required energy consumption.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2003Publication date: December 9, 2004Inventors: Marc Straub, Ulrich Hofmann, Markus Lohr, John Pearce, Helge Toufar
-
Publication number: 20040093910Abstract: The invention relates to a device for machine knitting with at least one continuous thread, in which the thread is passed through an existing stitch in the form of a loop, by means of the hook of a knitting or working needle to form a new stitch, whereby the knitting or working needle comprises a slot below the needle hook, into which a downwards-pointing transfer hook, which may be moved in the vertical direction, may extend. The transfer hook extends into the slot by means of a simultaneous controlled transverse movement, or the transfer hook forms the end of a moving lever, the other end of which is in the form of a control foot, the bearing of which is in the form of a dog which engages the groove of the lever and presses the control foot outwards in the control track by means of a flat spring. The above permits in a simple and secure manner smaller knitting sizes on knitting than for all other conventionally applied techniques.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2003Publication date: May 20, 2004Inventor: Ulrich Hofmann
-
Publication number: 20040083767Abstract: An improved knitting tool, comprising a loop-drawing needle (2) and a transfer needle (3), is improved in terms of its operational reliability, its versatility of use, and its knitting speed, by providing that the loop-drawing needle (2) has a cheek region (12) which is widened compared to the rest of the shank (5) and which is provided with a noucat (16). On the end of the cheek region (12) remote from the hook (9) of the loop-drawing needle (2), a control face (36) is provided, along which the transfer needle (3) runs with its control face (37), as a result of which the spacing between the loop-drawing needle (2) and the transfer needle (3) changes. The transfer hook (26) of the transfer needle (3) is wider than the hook (9) of the loop-drawing needle, and the hook tip is sharpened or pointed in order to fit into the noucat (16) in the loop-drawing needle, Because the transfer hook (26) is embodied as especially wide, the operating safety is increased substantially.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2003Publication date: May 6, 2004Applicant: GROZ-BECKERT KGInventor: Ulrich Hofmann
-
Publication number: 20040030723Abstract: A computerized method and system of document analysis. The method and system categorise documents according to a taxonomy. This is accomplished by rating training documents on a lower level by associating either of the following predicates to a training document: either correct, inbound, outbound, or unassigned, Rating categories are established on a lower level by determining precision/recall values for each category, and generating higher level category rating attributes from the lower-level rating steps. This is done by associating one or more of: aa) weak category, bb) existing source/sink relationship between categories, cc) close categories to the categories, and deriving an overall quality measure for the training base from the lower-level and higher-level rating step. The lower-level and higher-level evaluation results are stored.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2003Publication date: February 12, 2004Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Peter Gerstl, Ulrich Hofmann, Alexander Lang
-
Patent number: 6556702Abstract: A lithography method and apparatus which represent a substrate surface as gray level values and determine a shape data that specifies a shape and position of a flash field. The apparatus receives a pattern in a vector format, represents the substrate surface as a grid of pixels, and then represents each pixel as a gray level value specifying a proportion of the pixel that includes the pattern. Subsequently the apparatus constructs a matrix of a quadrant of four pixels and surrounding pixels, modifies the matrix so that three intermediate shapes corresponding to an exposed region of the quadrant may be provided, determines an intermediate shape data of the quadrant; and performs a reverse modification on the shape to determine the shape data that specifies a flash field.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 1999Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Stephen A. Rishton, Weidong Wang, Volker Boegli, Ulrich Hofmann
-
Patent number: 6489404Abstract: The above described deficiencies and drawbacks are overcome by the process for making poly(arylene ether)-polyamide compositions which comprise about 10 weight percent (wt %) to about 90 wt % poly(arylene ether), about 90 wt % to about 10 wt % polyamide, about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % compatibility modifier, and optionally other additives known in the art. The process comprises several components which can be employed singly or in combination, namely: utilizing resins and additives that are substantially free of gaseous oxygen (air-free; e.g. less than about 1.0 vol % oxygen preferred, and less than about 0.5 vol % oxygen especially preferred, and less than about 0.05 vol % especially preferred); melting and compounding under an atmosphere which is substantially air-free; adding up to 20 wt % of polyamide to the poly(arylene ether) before compounding; when employing an extruder with an atmospheric vent, operating with the atmospheric vent open; and performing the injection molding under an inert atmosphere.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2001Date of Patent: December 3, 2002Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Piet J Bolluijt, Jasper R. Bouma, Herve Cartier, Ulrich Hofmann, Jan P. H. Keulen, Christiaan Henricus Koevoets, Eric Reitjens, Peter O. Stahl, Geert Tamboer, Werner Woerhle
-
Publication number: 20020055596Abstract: The above described deficiencies and drawbacks are overcome by the process for making poly(arylene ether)-polyamide compositions which comprise about 10 weight percent (wt %) to about 90 wt % poly(arylene ether), about 90 wt % to about 10 wt % polyamide, about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % compatibility modifier, and optionally other additives known in the art. The process comprises several components which can be employed singly or in combination, namely: utilizing resins and additives that are substantially free of gaseous oxygen (air-free; e.g. less than about 1.0 vol % oxygen preferred, and less than about 0.5 vol % oxygen especially preferred, and less than about 0.05 vol % especially preferred); melting and compounding under an atmosphere which is substantially air-free; adding up to 20 wt % of polyamide to the poly(arylene ether) before compounding; when employing an extruder with an atmospheric vent, operating with the atmospheric vent open; and performing the injection molding under an inert atmosphere.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2001Publication date: May 9, 2002Inventors: Piet J. Bolluijt, Jasper R. Bouma, Herve Cartier, Ulrich Hofmann, Jan P. H. Keulen, Christiaan Henricus Koevoets, Eric Reitjens, Peter O. Stahl, Geert Tamboer, Werner Woerhle
-
Patent number: 6365677Abstract: The above described deficiencies and drawbacks are overcome by the process for making poly(arylene ether)-polyamide compositions which comprise about 10 weight percent (wt %) to about 90 wt % poly(arylene ether), about 90 wt % to about 10 wt % polyamide, about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % compatibility modifier, and optionally other additives known in the art. The process comprises several components which can be employed singly or in combination, namely: utilizing resins and additives that are substantially free of gaseous oxygen (air-free; e.g. less than about 1.0 vol % oxygen preferred, and less than about 0.5 vol % oxygen especially preferred, and less than about 0.05 vol % especially preferred); melting and compounding under an atmosphere which is substantially air-free; adding up to 20 wt % of polyamide to the poly(arylene ether) before compounding; when employing an extruder with an atmospheric vent, operating with the atmospheric vent open; and performing the injection molding under an inert atmosphere.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2000Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: General ElectricInventors: Piet J. Bolluijt, Jasper R. Bouma, Herve Cartier, Ulrich Hofmann, Jan P. Keulen, Christian Henricus Koevoets, Eric Rietjens, Peter O. Stahl, Geert Tamboer, Werner Woerhle
-
Publication number: 20010051860Abstract: A fast convolution method applicable to convolving a signal (indicative of an n-dimensional pattern, where n is greater than or equal to two) with a smooth kernel that can be approximated by a separated-spline kernel, and a system configured to perform such method using software or signal processing circuitry. Unlike Fourier-based convolution methods which require on the order of N log N arithmetic operations for a signal of length N, the method of the invention requires only on the order of N arithmetic operations to do so. Unlike wavelet-based convolution approximations (which typically also require more arithmetic operations than are required in accordance with the invention to convolve the same signal), the method of the invention is exact for convolution kernels which are spline kernels.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2001Publication date: December 13, 2001Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: David Jeremy Copeland, Richard E. Crandall, Ulrich Hofmann, Richard L. Lozes
-
Patent number: 5925511Abstract: For the fixated cryopreservation of single living biological objects or s objects compiled in a given number (for example cells) a cryogenically cooled substrate (13) is jetted therewith in a enveloping solution in microdroplet form (12) from a storage vessel, for example by means of a microdroplet jetting device (11). The substrate is temperature-controlled via a coolant (15), the surface to be jetted being located in a gas atmosphere or in vacuum (14). The substrate surface is maintained at a temperature T1 resulting in freezing of the impinging microdroplet, the substrate surface being possibly supportingly microstructured and comprising sensing elements. By controlled movement of either the substrate or the microdroplet jetting device the microdroplets can be applied singly and in patterns in arrays freely selectable or predetermined by the structuring of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 1997Date of Patent: July 20, 1999Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Fordereung Der Angeweandten Forschung E.V.Inventors: Gunter Fuhr, Jan Hornung, Rolf Hagedorn, Torsten Muller, Steffen Howitz, Bernd Wagner, Ulrich Hofmann
-
Patent number: 4423606Abstract: A knitting machine comprising a needle bed and a plurality of grooves in the needle bed for receiving knitting needles with a hooked knitting needle positioned in each of the grooves. Each of the knitting needles has an associated plate guided in the same groove. The plate includes a longitudinally extended finger directed toward the hook of the needle. The needle includes a shank portion having a recess therein below the hook of the needle for receiving the finger of the plate with the plate being moveable longitudinally and transversely with respect to the needle for widening a stitch formed therearound.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1980Date of Patent: January 3, 1984Inventor: Ulrich Hofmann
-
Patent number: 4407500Abstract: A handle for a racket of the type used in playing tennis and like sports includes an elongated shaft portion, a hollow grip portion attached to one end of the shaft portion and a frame portion connected to the other end of the shaft portion. The shaft portion includes two spaced apart hollow tube sections which, in their surfaces facing toward each other, are provided with slots extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube sections. The space between the portions of the tube sections which face each other in the transverse direction of the tube sections forms a Venturi region for creating a zone of reduced air pressure between the tube sections when the racket is swung during play. The zone of reduced air pressure cases air to be drawn from the interior of the tube sections through the longitudinal slots.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1982Date of Patent: October 4, 1983Inventor: Ulrich Hofmann
-
Patent number: 4197721Abstract: A method and apparatus for mechanical stitch formation with at least one continuous yarn or thread wherein a loop of yarn or thread is provided around a stitch forming needle, and this first loop is clamped at its distal end so as to be retained around the needle while the thread is drawn through this first loop so as to form a second loop engaging the first loop, whereupon the first loop is released and cast off of the needle while the needle passes through the second loop which is then clamped around the needle in preparation for a repeat operation for formation of successive stitches.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 1977Date of Patent: April 15, 1980Inventors: Ulrich Hofmann, Lothar Thomma