Abstract: The optical system of a scanner comprising at least four reflecting mirrors, a focusing lens and an image sensor has its lens placed outside the area encircled by the reflecting mirrors so that the reflecting mirrors can be placed closer in the vertical direction. Thus, the vertical dimension of the scanner is made smaller.

Abstract: A mobile telephone uses a laser diode to indicate the presence of incoming telephone calls. The laser diode is energized by the incoming radio frequency (rf) signal by rectifying the rf signal to produce dc voltage. The antenna assembly has a transparent window for the emitted light to radiate. The emitted light passes through a patterned mask to generate artistic light rays. Using different kinds of semiconductor material for the laser diode, the laser diode can emit different colors.

Abstract: A conveyor with narrow apertures enables barcode scanning devices to be mounted under the conveying surface so they may scan and read data from tags and labels located on the bottom surface of material being transported by the conveyor. Multiple apertures and scanning devices are oriented at different angles to each other to assure that at least one of the scanning devices has an optimal orientation to reliably read barcodes or labels which may be randomly oriented on the conveying surface.

Abstract: An automatic alignment system is used to correct the offset error of a bidirectional printing device. The positional offset between the forward printing and the backward printing is compensated by adjusting the position of the printing cartridge. The actual position of the cartridge is sensed by a light detector, which is shuttered when the moving cartridge, driven by a microstepping motor, passes through the sensor. Based on the difference between the actual position and the correct theoretical position, the cartridge position is automatically adjusted to correct the offset error. For fine adjustment, time delay can be used in addition to the positional adjustment of the cartridge.

Abstract: Via holes are plated through the substrate of a surface mount package. The leads of an electronic device is inserted in the plated-through via holes. The bottom of the plated through metal is enlarged as pads to provide reliable soldering surfaces to a motherboard. Upon heating the leads are soldered to the walls of the plated through via holes. Alternatively, the leads can be folded before inserting into the plated-through via holes.

Abstract: The elastic cover of a scanner has an elastic convex bottom plate to press against the paper to be scanned. The convex bottom plate has windows for air trapped in the duct of the convex bottom plate to flow out and press against the paper so that the paper does not fly when the cover is lifted.

Abstract: More than one photodetectors, each sensitive to different wavelengths, are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The different photodetectors can be stacked over one another or placed laterally on the common substrate. Gratings may be placed over each photodetector to sharpen the spectral response. Three such photodetectors can form a pixel of an active matrix array for an image sensor. The different photodetectors in each pixel can be multiplexed electronically. The electronic circuits for activating the different photodetectors can be integrated on the same substrate.

Abstract: A solid state epoxy powder and a solid state fluorescent powder material are mixed in a fixed ratio for application over the surface of an optical device. When the mixture is heated into liquid form and then cooled down, the mixture forms a fluorescent coating which emits colorless light when optical device is excited.

Abstract: A MOSFET operating as a mixer has its drain biased at the knee of the ID vs VDS characteristic. A local oscillator voltage is applied to the gate and a RF signal voltage is applied to the drain through a singled-ended source follower. The nonlinear curvature at the knee produces a beat frequency current. This mixer requires less supply voltage, and results in more conversion gain and less feed-through of the RF input signal than the Gilbert multiplier. Conversely, the RF voltage can be applied to the gate and the local oscillator voltage can be applied to the drain.

Abstract: A resilient friction pad is pushed by a spring against a conveying roller for feeding paper automatically in a printer. The friction pad is placed in a recess at the end of the paper tray. A flat auxiliary spring may be used to share the pressure of a heavy paper load and to prevent the separation of the resilient friction pad and the conveying roller. A support block may be placed underneath the resilient friction pad to prevent sagging of the resilient friction pad. A corrugated arm may be inserted between the push-up spring and the resilient friction pad to provide wider contact between the resilient friction pad and the conveying roller. Two springs are located at the tail end of the resilient friction pad: one to lift to paper tray when the paper stack is light and the other to depress the paper stack so that paper in the upper section of the remaining paper stack does not push the paper being fed so hard that more than one sheet of paper are fed.

Abstract: In the scanning optical module of a scanner, the light source module is mounted over the lens module through a spring to push the light source module against the scan window. Thus, the light source is moved closer to the document to be scanned and irradiates the document with higher intensity than prior art light source, which must be clear away from the scan window to allow for manufacturing tolerances. The light source is separated from the scan window by rollers.

Abstract: A plastic focusing cup is directly mounted on the bottom metallic contact plates for surface mounting of an optoelectric diode package.

Abstract: A light emitting field effect transistor is proposed with a new extended drain region. The extension is doped with erbium or other rare-earth atoms. The erbium provides light-emitting centers in the indirect bandgap silicon substrate to enhance the radiative process. When a drain voltage is applied to create a high enough electric, energetic electrons entering this region interact with Er to emit infrared light.

Abstract: A low supply voltage for operating an operational amplifier operating as a voltage follower is derived from a high voltage source. Two npn transistors, two Zener diodes and a current source are connected in series across the high voltage source. The input voltage (to the operational amplifier) plus a Zener reference voltage is applied to the base of the transistor near the positive terminal of the high voltage source. Then, a low positive supply voltage V+ nearly equal to the input voltage plus the Zener voltage (Vi+Vz) is derived at the emitter. This low positive supply voltage V− is derived by dropping V+ through the two series Zener diodes to obtain a low negative supply voltage equal to (Vi−Vz).

Abstract: The output optical beam from an angled-facet semiconductor laser diode is made to propagate parallel to the optical axis of the laser package with low optical back-reflection. In this way, the angled-facet devices are made compatible with conventional semiconductor laser packages enabling them to be economically incorporated in a wide-range of external semiconductor lasers and amplified spontaneous emission sources. The parallel beam is achieved by tilting the laser diode with respect to the front and back surfaces of the package.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) is connected in series with the power supply input pad of an integrated circuit chip. The LED lights up when the power supply is turned on as an indicator that the IC is operating properly.

Abstract: Two flat contact pads form a portion of the bottom surface of a flat package and constitute the two external connections for the diode. The diode rests on at least one the contact pads. The diode and the contact pads are covered with protective glue. If the diode has one electrode at the bottom surface, the contact pad not in contact with diode is wire bonded to the top electrode. If the diode has both electrodes at the bottom surface, the two electrodes can rest on two separate contact pads. If the diode has both electrodes on the top surface, the electrodes can be wire-bonded to the two separate contact pads. The top surface of the contact pads can be roughened or protruded to increase adhesion between the protective glue and the contact pads. The contact pads can also have tunnels at the bottom surface to increase the gluing interface between the contact pads and the glue.

Abstract: A light emitting diode module is mounted perpendicular to a motherboard, so that the lights emit in a direction parallel to the motherboard. The bottom contacts of the module are lined up on only one side of the module. The contacts are soldered to the motherboard with substrate of the module in vertical position.

Abstract: Two IC chips in a multiple-chip module are stacked together on a common lead frame or substrate of a ball-grid array package to save space. The top chip is wire-bonded to the lead frame. The bottom chip is flip-chip bonded to the lead frame, thus allowing more leads. The common substrate of the two chips are connected together by a conductive layer of metal plate, solder or conductive epoxy. The connecting layer may serve as a heat sinking element or a common electrical terminal.

Abstract: Flat metal strips are used to make connections to a laser diode so that the interconnections are parallel to the surface of the semiconductor device and the structure has a lower profile than a wire-bonded package. The contacts can be made with conducting glue or hard pressed by a lid before sealing with glue.