Patents by Inventor Willem D. Van Amstel

Willem D. Van Amstel 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: 7108690
    Abstract: A hair-removing device (1) includes a laser source (3), an adjustable laser beam manipulator (5) for positioning a laser beam (7) of the laser source (3) in a target position (9) on a skin (11) to be treated, and an image sensor (47) for detecting an image (49) of the skin. The hair-removing device further comprises a control unit (17) which determines a position and orientation on the skin of a hair (13) to be removed, and which determines the target position of the laser beam as a function of said position and orientation of the hair. The control unit brings the laser beam manipulator in a state corresponding to the target position of the laser beam, and activates the laser source when the laser beam manipulator has reached said state. Thus, the hair-removing device is suitable for use by inexperienced users, and is particularly suitable for the consumer market.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Karim M. T. Lefki, Abraham J. Cense, Xiang S. Cheng, Willem D. Van Amstel, Gerrit J. Veldhuis
  • Patent number: 5229619
    Abstract: A device for optically measuring the height of surface irregularities of an object. A scanning spot of radiation (11) is formed on such surface, and a first optical imaging system (20) forms a reflected image (31) of the scanning spot on a diffusely reflective or transmissive screen (30). A second imaging system (40) forms from the imaged scanning spot (31) a re-imaged scanning spot (51) on the photosensitive surface of a position-sensitive radiation detection system (50). The screen is arranged so that the radiation from scanning spot (11) is incident thereon at a small grazing angle, and is adapted to diffuse the radiation from the imaged scanning spot (31) to produce radiation directed substantially normally on the photosensitive surface of the radiation detection system. A high degree of correlation between the position of the re-imaged scanning spot (51) on the photosensitive surface and the height (.DELTA.Z) of the surface of the object being measured is thereby achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Willem D. Van Amstel
  • Patent number: 5170037
    Abstract: An optical scanning device comprises an optical system for imaging a part of the surface (10) to be scanned on the detection system (22-25; 122-125). The optical system comprises an objective system (43) and two cylindrical lenses (41, 42) and/or two systems of cylindrical mirrors (141a, 141b, 142a, 142b). In the direction in which the cylindrical lenses (41, 42) have their optical power, the objective system (43) functions as an imaging lens so that a light-intensive and spatial image of the surface is formed at the detection system (22-25). Due to the achieved large numerical aperture, the image formed can also be observed three-dimensionally so that information about the profile of the surface can be obtained by means of the scanning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corp.
    Inventors: Willem D. Van Amstel, Joseph L. Horijon
  • Patent number: 5148324
    Abstract: A mirror unit (11) comprising a mirror holder (12) having a cylindrical support surface (13), and comprising a flexible mirror (14) having a mirror side (15) and a rear side (16); the mirror (14) which has been elastically deformed into a cylindrical mirror rests with its mirror side (15) directly on the support surface (13) of the mirror holder (14) without an intermediate layer, the mirror holder being provided with a shaft (17) which leaves open an optically directly and freely accessible region (19) at the mirror side (15) of the mirror (14) (front surface mirror), this region (19) acting as the functional mirror surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corp.
    Inventor: Willem D. Van Amstel
  • Patent number: 5013108
    Abstract: An optical scanning device comprises a rotatable polygon mirror (40), or another deflection system, which is arranged between an objective system (30) and the surface (61) to be scanned. In order that the image point (21) moves along a straight line across the surface (61), a correction system is provided which comprises two unidirectionally curved mirrors (51 and 52), the first (51) of which has a hyperbola-cylindrical shape and the second (52) has a parabola-cylindrical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Willem D. Van Amstel
  • Patent number: 4930889
    Abstract: An on-line method of and apparatus for inspecting an apertured mask sheet to be formed into a shadow mask for a color cathode ray tube are disclosed. In one of several embodiments described the mask sheet is linearly scanned by a laser spot transverse to the direction of advancement of the mask sheet. The peak values of the grey levels of the laser light transmitted by the mask sheet are detected and the data is convoluted electronically to form a series of convolution windows. The grey levels of the successively formed convolution windows are compared to at least one reference value and an output is produced at least in those cases where an error in the mask aperture size is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Bastiaan J. Van Donselaar, Willem D. Van Amstel