Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP
  • Patent number: 6637924
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus comprises an elongated waveguide having proximal and distal ends and a central longitudinal axis. The waveguide includes an elongated forward side for outputting light and an elongated rearward side having an elongated reflective surface for reflecting light towards the forward side. A light source such as a solid state light emitter may be situated on the proximal end of the waveguide introduces light into the waveguide in the form of a beam which propagates from the proximal end to the distal end. Light traveling within the waveguide is reflected from the reflective surface along the elongated rearward side towards the forward side for viewing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Teledyne Lighting and Display Products, Inc.
    Inventors: David G. Pelka, William A. Parkyn
  • Patent number: 6635045
    Abstract: Provided is a method for loading electrode-corroding ingredients into an un-loaded donor gel reservoir of an electrode for an electrically assisted drug delivery system. The method provides that a salt, such as sodium chloride or an organic salt, is provided in the un-loaded donor gel reservoir, contrary to convention. Related electrically assisted drug delivery electrode assemblies also are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Vyteris, Inc.
    Inventors: Preston Keusch, Uday K. Jain, Vilambi Nrk Reddy, Bruce M. Eliash, Kevin John Carey, Vitaly Falevich
  • Patent number: 6634887
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for tutoring a student in solving a problem described in the form of a dialog with a student involving questions posed to the student and analysis of student responses. The method employs a student model for receiving and diagnosing student input and a tutorial model for deciding what new questions to plan to ask the student. The method comprises the following steps: receiving the diagnosis in a tutorial processing module; generating an agenda including at least one question; applying at least one tutorial strategy to the diagnosis; and, providing feedback to the student based on application of the tutorial strategy given the current context as indicated by the agenda data structure. In certain aspects of the method, at least one knowledge remediation dialog and/or at least one knowledge construction dialog can be applied to generate dialog between the tutor and the student.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Neil Thomas Heffernan, III, Kenneth R. Koedinger
  • Patent number: 6636737
    Abstract: A method for assigning channels for access points for a network providing wireless communications coverage for an environment, including assigning a weight indicative of overlapping coverage for each pair of access points having overlapping coverage, and assigning a channel to each of the access points based on certain sums of the weights to minimize coverage overlap between access points operating at the same channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Alexander H. Hills, Jon P. Schlegel
  • Patent number: 6633727
    Abstract: An integrated heater and controller assembly for monitoring and controlling the heating of a process in a reservoir is disclosed. The assembly includes a heater, a coupling adapter, a control unit, and a temperature sensor. The heater attaches to the reservoir and has a heating element extending into the process. The coupling adapter includes a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion. The first tubular portion attaches to the heater. The second tubular portion attaches to the control unit. The first tubular portion is rotatably attached to the second tubular portion. Wires from the control unit communicate through a pathway in the first and second tubular portions and connect to the heater. The control unit has control circuitry to control the power supplied through the wires to the heater. The heater may also have a thermowell that extends into the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Chromalox, Inc.
    Inventors: John Henrie, Myron L. Jensen, Steve U. Nestel, Randy C. Jarrett, Lorin T. Adkins
  • Patent number: 6633074
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a semiconductor interconnect structure comprised of a promoter layer defining openings and a metal layer having a portion elevated above the substrate assembly and a portion that fills the openings. The metal layer is in electrical contact with the substrate assembly through the portion of the metal layer that fills the openings. The portion of the metal layer that fills the openings supports the elevated portion of the metal layer. A method of fabricating a semiconductor interconnect structure is also provided. A resist layer is patterned on a substrate assembly to define openings. A metal layer is deposited on the resist layer and into the openings, and the resist layer is removed to form a gap between the metal layer and the underlying substrate assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kie Y. Ahn
  • Patent number: 6629987
    Abstract: The present invention provides a catheter positioning system which serves to control and stabilize a distal end of a catheter at a treatment site within a patient so that a medical procedure can be performed with accuracy. Generally, the positioning system operates by providing a deformable mechanical members at the distal end of the catheter which can be operated from the proximal end of the catheter to extend radially outward to engage surrounding tissue adjacent to treatment site. In one embodiment of the invention a flexible superstructure comprising the plurality of flexible veins extending longitudinally along the distal end of the catheter can be deformed to bow radially outward to engage surrounding tissue. The distal tip of the catheter joined to one of the veins was correspondingly displaced or rotated angularly as the veins bow outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Gambale, Stephen J. Forcucci, Chirag B. Shah, Michael F. Weiser, Sean Forde
  • Patent number: 6629675
    Abstract: A cable-supporting apparatus is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes a rigid support member that may be attached to a framework that supports one or more components. At least one cable support member is attached to the rigid support member for receiving a portion of at least one cable therethrough. The cable support members may comprise split rings that each define central cable-receiving area that is surrounded by rigid portions of the split ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventors: Brian P. Bjorklund, Kenneth F. Bugg
  • Patent number: 6630970
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display structure includes a liquid crystal display cell having a front surface and a back surface. One or more intrinsic polarizers lacking protective coatings thereon, such as K-type polarizers and thin KE polarizer sheets, are disposed adjacent to the front and back surfaces of the liquid crystal display cell. Alternatively, thinly cladded or encased iodine polarizers are disposed adjacent to the front and back surfaces of the liquid crystal display cell. The liquid crystal display structure may be used in conjunction with other optical display elements to enhance the brightness and contrast of the liquid crystal display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Giorgio Trapani, William K. Smyth, Philip Ralli, James Gordon, John Cael, John C. Branca, David M. Foresyth, Atsushi Suzuki, William Pugh
  • Patent number: 6629968
    Abstract: A reservoir-electrode for an iontophoretic delivery device of the present invention includes an electrode; and a hydrophilic reservoir situated in electrically conductive relation to the electrode. The reservoir is formed from a bibulous hydrophilic cross-linked polymeric material having a substantially uniform concentration of an alkali metal chloride salt therein thereby substantially eliminating concentration gradients of the salt with respect to the electrode. The polymeric material has a first surface and a second surface that is adhesively adherent to the electrode. The first surface of the polymeric material is releasably adhesive to an applied area of a patient's skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Vyteris, Inc.
    Inventors: Uday K. Jain, Vilambi N R K Reddy, Bruce M. Eliash, Kevin John Carey, Vitaly Falevich, Preston Keusch
  • Patent number: 6630101
    Abstract: A method of producing a gear from a metallurgical powder includes molding at least a portion of the powder to provide a gear preform. The gear preform is sintered and hot formed, and subsequently may be carburized. The gear preform is resintered and cooled at a cooling rate suitable to provide a bainitic microstructure in at least a surface region of the preform. The gear teeth of the preform may be shaved to, for example, adjust dimensions, and enhance dimensional uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Keystone Investment Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Anderson, William J. Olson
  • Patent number: 6628532
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a voltage-controlled switch. The drive circuit includes a normally-on switch including first and second terminals and a control terminal, wherein the first and second terminals have a conduction path therebetween, the second terminal is connected to a conduction control terminal of the voltage-controlled switch, and the control terminal of the normally-on switch is biased by a drive voltage relative to the first terminal of the normally-on switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Artesyn Technologies, Inc
    Inventors: Karl Rinne, Peter Bardos
  • Patent number: 6627314
    Abstract: The present invention describes preparation of nanocomposite particles and structures by polymerizing monomers onto a functional inorganic colloid comprising a polymerization initiation site. The polymerization process is preferably a controlled/living polymerization process, including but not limited to, atom transfer radical polymerization and stable free radical polymerization. The nanocomposite particles can self-organize in solution, on surfaces or in films forming nanocomposite structures. Tethered AB block nanocomposite particles bring size control, solubility control and control over micro- and macro-functionality to the particles. The process may be catalyzed by a transition metal complex which participates in a reversible redox cycle with at least one of the group and a compound having a radically transferable atom or group, to form a nanocomposite particle with a tethered polymer chain. The process may be continued to form tethered copolymer chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Jeffrey Pyun
  • Patent number: 6625938
    Abstract: A modular approach to designing all-hex mesh conversion templates where triangular and rectangular subdivision patterns may arbitrarily be combined on the exterior faces of the templates. The templates can be created for any arbitrary-shaped, complex geometric domain. The all-hex conversion software according to the present invention take as input any type of a hex-dominant mesh and converts it to an all-hex mesh automatically. An all-hex template according to the present invention is a family of modular sub-templates. These sub-templates can be assembled to form all-hex conversion templates for hexes, pyramids, and prisms. There are two types of modular sub-templates, called a core and a cap. For a hex or prism element, one core is defined, which specifies the subdivision patterns of two faces of the input hex or prism. Then four caps are defined for a hex and three caps for a prism to specify the subdivision patterns of the other faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Kenji Shimada, Soji Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 6628847
    Abstract: A device including a housing, a writing tip connected to the housing, a writing surface position indicator, a processor in the housing, a memory device in the housing connected to the processor, and a sensor in the housing and cooperative with the writing surface position indicator. The device may be used to record writings and drawings applied to a surface by a user, to transmit that data to a remote device, to download data from remote devices, and to otherwise communicate with remote devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Chris Dominick Kasabach, John Michael Stivoric, Francine Duskey Gemperle, Christopher Pacione, Eric Teller
  • Patent number: 6625195
    Abstract: The present invention is a “Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser” or “VCSEL” design, wherein the VCSEL device produces phase-conjugated distortion free (reversal of intracavity distortions like diffraction, divergence, and light scattering) and collimated (plane-parallel phase fronts) laser-light emissions. Moreover, through what is called intracavity degenerative four-wave mixing (called four-wave mixing because traditionally there are four frequencies of phase-matched laser light involved in the phase-conjugate process), that occurs within the nonlinear materials of the “Phase Conjugated Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser” or “PCVCSEL” device's vertical-cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Inventor: Joseph Reid Henrichs
  • Patent number: 6624263
    Abstract: A new polymerization process (atom transfer radical polymerization, or ATRP) based on a redox reaction between a transition metal (e.g., Cu(I)/Cu(II), provides “living” or controlled radical polymerization of styrene, (meth)acrylates, and other radically polymerizable monomers. Using various simple organic halides as model halogen atom transfer precursors (initiators) and transition metal complexes as a model halogen atom transfer promoters (catalysts), a “living” radical polymerization affords (co)polymers having the predetermined number average molecular weight by &Dgr;[M]/[I]0 (up to Mn>105) and a surprisingly narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn), as low as 1.15. The participation of free radical intermediates in ATRP is supported by end-group analysis and stereochemistry of the polymerization. In addition, polymers with various topologies (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Jin-Shan Wang
  • Patent number: D480807
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Yardan, Christopher T. Zirps, Timothy R. Membrino, David J. Copeland, Sean J. Silva, Eric Mears
  • Patent number: D481283
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Diamond Machining Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley A. Watson, Brian W. Brueggemann
  • Patent number: D481402
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Delta International Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Jenkins, Rockne W. Behne