Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Jacques M. Dulin, Esq.
  • Patent number: 6782332
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
  • Patent number: 6729040
    Abstract: A dryer for drying a substrate includes: a bath containing a fluid; a chamber; and a delivery system supplying a polar organic compound, such as isopropyl alcohol, and a hydrophobic organic compound, such as hydrofluoroether, to the interface between the substrate and the fluid as the substrate is removed from the fluid of the bath into the chamber. The dryer further includes a chamber environment control system that supplies a gas into the chamber to dry the substrate and controls temperature and humidity in the chamber and a chamber heater attached to the chamber to transfer thermal energy into the chamber. A drying method includes: immersing a substrate into a fluid contained in a bath; removing the substrate from the fluid into a chamber; and supplying isopropyl alcohol and hydrofluoroether to an interface between the substrate and the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Oliver Design, Inc.
    Inventor: Yassin Mehmandoust
  • Patent number: 6714837
    Abstract: An incentive-based grocery cart washing and disinfecting system including a consumer special-offer coupon applying apparatus, for use in a batch or continuous process comprising a housing having at least one pipe manifold with nozzles positioned therein to provide at least one treatment zone selected from pre-wash, wash, disinfecting, and rinse zones. In addition, blown air water-stripping/drying zones may be provided, with a heating source to assist drying. Following drying, a strip of specially adapted grocery coupons is optionally applied to the grocery cart handle, so that the coupons can be redeemed by customers during their subsequent shopping. The coupon strip comprises a leader portion and a coupon portion, and the leader can be wrapped and fixed around the grocery cart handle manually or by means of the automated machinery described. The system of the invention may be a fixed or mobile system, with the use preferably being on site at stores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Inventors: Rogers F. Brackmann, Jacques M. Dulin
  • Patent number: 6633475
    Abstract: A low cost high side supply shut down circuit that operates to deactivate the power supply of a central supply, such as to pressure regulators, solenoid valves, etc., as parts of non-repairable electro-hydraulic transmission modules in the event of a malfunction, e.g. a low side driver circuit failure. The supply voltage is connected to the high side of a fuse. The load circuits receive power or no power depending on the operating condition of the fuse. Coupled across the fuse is a fuse trigger status detection circuit as part of a diagnostics and control module. The diagnostics and control module is connected to the input of a shut down low side output driver circuit. The attached low side loads have individual detection circuits that are coupled to the diagnostics and control module as well as their enable inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventor: Karsten E. Thiele
  • Patent number: 6625901
    Abstract: A dryer for drying a substrate includes: a bath containing a fluid; a chamber; and an isopropyl alcohol delivery system supplying isopropyl alcohol vapor to the interface between the substrate and the fluid when the substrate is removed from the fluid of the bath into the chamber. The isopropyl alcohol vapor is supplied perpendicularly to a vertical axis of the substrate. The dryer further includes a chamber environment control system that supplies a gas into the chamber to dry the substrate and controls temperature and humidity in the chamber and a chamber heater attached to the chamber to transfer thermal energy into the chamber. A drying method includes: immersing a substrate into a fluid contained in a bath; removing the substrate from the fluid into a chamber; and supplying isopropyl alcohol vapor into an interface between the substrate and the fluid perpendicularly to a vertical axis of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Oliver Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Yassin Mehmandoust, Donald E. Stephens
  • Patent number: 6566544
    Abstract: This invention is directed to novel catalysts the structure and activity of which can be controlled to produce a wide range of alpha olefin polymers and co-polymers, and preferably for the production of stereoblock poly alpha olefins comprising a wide range of preselected amorphous and crystalline segments for precise control of the physical properties thereof, principally elastomeric thermoplastic properties. More specifically, this invention is directed to novel catalysts and catalysts systems for producing stereoblock polypropylene comprising alternating isotactic and atactic diastereosequences, which result in a wide range of elastomeric properties. The amount and numbers of crystalline sections, the isotactic pentad content, the number and length of intermediate atactic chains and overall molecular weight are all controllable by the steric structure of the catalysts and the process conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University
    Inventors: Robert M. Waymouth, Elisabeth Hauptman, Geoffrey W. Coates
  • Patent number: 6559262
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to low ethylene insertions into I-olefin polymers and processes for production of such polymers using unbridged fluxional metallocenes, primarily substituted aryl indenyl metallocenes, and more particularly to use of unbridged, fluxional, cyclopentadienyl or indenyl metallocene catalyst systems in methods of production of high melting point I-olefin homo- and co-polymers, particularly elastomeric crystalline and amorphous block homo- and co-polymers of I-olefins. The activity of fluxional unbridged metallocene polymerization catalysts containing at least one 2-arylindene ligand is increased 10× or more by the addition of small (typically 0.1-10 wt. %) amounts of ethylene to the polymerization system, which increase is termed the Polymerization Rate-Enhancement effect (PRE), which is measured in terms of an Ethylene Enhancement Factor (EEF) as a dimensionless ratio in the range of from about 1.1 to about 10 or above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University
    Inventors: Robert M. Waymouth, Raisa Kravchenko, Larry L. Bendig, Eric J. Moore, Charles L. Myers, Roger W. Quan, Andreas B. Ernst
  • Patent number: 6518378
    Abstract: This invention relates to high melting polyolefin copolymers suitable as thermoplastic elastomers and catalysts and methods for their synthesis. These elastomeric olefin copolymers are characterized by a mole fraction of crystallizable component Xc from about 30 to about 99%; low glass transition temperatures, below −20° C., and typically below −50° C.; melting points above about 90° C.; high molecular weights; a molecular weight distribution MW/Mn</=10; and a narrow composition distribution between chains of </=15%. The novel copolymers of the invention range from reactor blends to multiblock copolymers that can be sequentially fractionated into fractions of differing crystallinities, which fractions nevertheless show compositions of comonomers which differ by less than 15% from the parent polymer (reactor product).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Robert M. Waymouth, Raisa L. Kravchenko, Jennifer Maciejewski Petoff, Joyce Hung
  • Patent number: 6479685
    Abstract: Metallocene catalysts having plural coordination geometries for synthesis of high melting polyolefin copolymers suitable as thermoplastic elastomers. The inventive catalysts comprise unbridged, substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalysts that are capable of inter-converting between states with different polymerization or copolymerization characteristics, which interconversion is controlled by selecting the substituents of the cyclopentadienyl ligands so that the rate of interconversion of the two states is within several orders of magnitude of the rate of formation of a single polymer chain. Where ri>rf the polymer can be characterized as multiblock; where ri<rf, the result is a polymer blend and where ri/rf is close to 1, the resulting polymer is a mixture of blend and multiblock. The inventive metallocene catalysts are able to interconvert between more than two states, with embodiments of four states being shown in FIG. 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Standard Junior University
    Inventors: Robert M. Waymouth, Raisa L. Kravchenko, Jennifer Maciejewski Petoff, Joyce Hung
  • Patent number: 6470286
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature oil the transducer sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
  • Patent number: 6380125
    Abstract: Catalysts, catalyst systems and processes for production of alternating copolymers of ethylene and alpha olefins, and to novel classes of atactic and isotactic alternating copolymers of ethylene and alpha olefins, which copolymers include a wide range of crystallinity and exhibit commercially useful properties. Appropriate selection of ligand substituents permit the catalysts to be symmetric or assymetric, resulting in atactic, or isotactic or atactic, respectively, alternating copolymers of ethylene with alpha olefins. The novel class of bridged flourenyl metallocene catalysts of the invention is assymetric structural form interconvert between states during polymerization of ethylene with alpha olefins to produce alternating isotactic or atactic copolymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Robert Waymouth, Margrete K. LeClerc
  • Patent number: 6353529
    Abstract: A multiply pivoted folding computer housing structure is disclosed which may be deployed in a generally Z-shaped configuration (“Z-computer”) applicable to portable computers as well as other computer-user interface systems such as laptop, notebook and desktop personal computers, checkout scanners, video and communication devices such as cell phones, TV and digital video players. The preferred embodiment of the Z-computer of the invention comprises at least three separate panels: a low profile keyboard base panel which supports at its back end an upright CPU panel, which in turn supports at its upper edge an elevated flat panel display. These panels are interconnected by two hinge systems and are adjustably securable by means of a lock mechanism to an improved ergonomic deployed configuration with the display at a better viewing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas Cies
  • Patent number: 6272411
    Abstract: A system for sensing the presence, position and type classification of an occupant in a passenger seat of a vehicle, as well as for sensing the presence of a rear-facing child seat therein, for use in controlling a related air bag activator control system to enable, disable or control inflation rate or amount of inflation of an air bag. The sensor system employs sensor fusion, a process of combining information provided by two or more sensors (24, 26), each of which “sees” the world in a unique sense. In a preferred embodiment, infrared sensor inputs (78) and ultrasonic sensor inputs (79) are combined in a microprocessor by a sensor fusion algorithm (80) to produce an occupancy state output signal (85) to the air bag controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony P. Corrado, Stephen W. Decker, Paul K. Benbow
  • Patent number: 6266593
    Abstract: An automotive occupancy sensing system and method for use in conjunction with airbag deployment systems, by which occupant nature, location and motion parameters within the vehicle interior are determined by ultrasound (US) and/or infrared sensors. (IS). Criteria for airbag disablement or airbag modified/partial deployment are used to determine whether appropriate disablement or modified/partial deployment control signals are transmitted to the vehicle airbag deployment system. More particularly the system establishes a Keep Out Zone (KOZ) within the vehicle interior relative to the dashboard or instrument panel and determines actual or imminent incursions by occupants into the KOZ to produce a Keep Out Zone Incursion (KOZI) signal. The system is also characterized by establishing a “Gray Area” bounding the KOZ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Ralf Seip, Steven W. Decker
  • Patent number: 5855735
    Abstract: A process comprising removing surface layer materials from the wafer by inducing micro-fractures in the surface using a rotating pad and an abrasive slurry until all of the surface layer materials are removed; and chemically etching the surfaces of the wafer until all micro-fractures are removed therefrom. Edge materials are removed by abrasive tape. Wafer thickness reduction during recycling is less than 30 microns per cycle. One of the front and back surfaces of the wafer substrate is polished, any dots or grooves being on the non-polished side. The abrasive slurry contains more than 6 volume percent abrasive particles, and the abrasive slurry has a viscosity greater than about 2 cP at ambient temperature. The preferred pad comprises an organic polymer having a hardness greater than about 40 on the Shore D scale, optimally a polyurethane. The pressure of the pad against the wafer surface preferably does not exceed about 3 psi. Preferably, the chemical etching solution contains potassium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Kobe Precision, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoru Takada, Hidetoshi Inoue, Yoshihiro Hara