Patents Represented by Attorney Roderick B. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5666155
    Abstract: An apparatus for creating an illusion of eye contact in a video telephony system includes a video camera and a display screen. The video camera is aligned with the display screen so the viewer's image is transmitted by the video camera with the illusion of eye contact. The display screen has an array of lenses defining part of a first optical path, for transmitting to a video camera a viewer's image. An array of regions interspersed among the array of lenses defines part of a second optical path, for directing to the viewer, displayed images. The array of lenses and the array of regions are each too small to be separately resolvable by the human eye, so that the lenses do not interfere with the perceived quality of the transmitted viewer's image, and the transparent regions do not deteriorate noticeably the video display images projected to the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Owen Mersereau
  • Patent number: 5614032
    Abstract: In a method for cleaning using terpene compositions, the generation of harmful precipitates is substantially eliminated or significantly reduced by adding a polar solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol, to the terpene composition. One to twenty percent of the cleaning composition should be alcohol, although it is preferred that it be in the five to fifteen percent range. The upper limit reflects primarily the desire to reduce the flammability of the solvent. Alternatively, the electronic devices can be rinsed with a terpene, alcohol mixture, but this alternative is much less preferred because of the flammability problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-Ping Wong
  • Patent number: 5568684
    Abstract: An electronic device (12, 13) is substantially enclosed by a fluid encapsulant (17). The fluid encapsulant consists essentially of a silicone resin and a catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum and tin. The silicone resin is selected from the group consisting of polydimethlysiloxane, polymethylphenylsiloxane, polydimethyldiphenylsiloxane, and mixtures thereof. Such silicone resins comprise molecules terminating in vinyl components and hydride components. The molar ratio of vinyl components to hydride components is maintained within the range of five to twenty. As will be explained more fully later, this ratio of vinyl components to hydride components assures that the resin will remain substantially a liquid even after cure, due to limited cross-linking or polymerization during the cure. The electronic device is contained within a container (16) having a sealed cover (18) for containing the liquid encapsulant during the operation of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Ping Wong
  • Patent number: 5568892
    Abstract: A method for aligning and soldering a first device (11) to a substrate (16) comprises the steps of providing a plurality of solder elements (17) between the first device and the substrate, aligning the first device, and then reflowing and cooling the solder elements to bond the first device to the substrate. The improvement comprises, first, reflowing only a first group of solder elements and then cooling the elements of the first group, thereby to tack the first device to the substrate. Thereafter, we reflow only a second group of the plurality of solder elements and cool the second group, thereby to provide a more secure bond between the device and the substrate without interfering with the alignment of the first device. This method reduces the amount of energy needed for each reflow step, thereby reducing stresses and maintaining better alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Nagesh R. Basavanhally
  • Patent number: 5519798
    Abstract: The invention is an improved optical fiber connector of the type comprising two identical plastic support members (11) having therein at least one V-groove on a first surface. The two support members are identical, with the V-grooves (12) being adapted to clamp on opposite sides of an optical fiber (16). In one embodiment of the invention, each of the support members has integrated therein a first spring member (20). First and second alignment pins (17, 18) are located on opposite sides of the matched first and second support members (11). The spring member (20) of a first one of the support members bears against one of the alignment pins (18) and forces it against the first and second support members (11); and the other spring member (19) forces the other one of the alignment pins (17) against the first and second support members. The springs are both preferably leaf springs which extend in a direction parallel to the V-grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Muhammed A. Shahid, George J. Shevchuk
  • Patent number: 5510153
    Abstract: Glass particles (14) are mixed within an uncured silicone resin (13). The fluid uncured resin is placed in a portion of a terminal block (11) and cured to form a gel (13') by subjecting it to microwaves in a microwave oven (22). Conductors (25, 26) to be interconnected are next inserted into the cured silicone gel and interconnected. The cured gel containing the glass particles thereafter constitutes a dependable insulator for the conductors, particularly the portions of the conductors that are interconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T IPM Corporation
    Inventors: Peter F. Lilienthal, II, Ivan Pawlenko, Ching-Ping Wong
  • Patent number: 5502162
    Abstract: Problems resulting from contamination of electronic apparatus used with silicone keypads can be eliminated or substantially reduced by soaking such keypads prior to assembly in a low molecular weight liquid hydrocarbon, particularly n-hexane. Such soaking removes low molecular weight unreactive cyclics from the keypad which might otherwise contaminate the electronic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-Ping Wong
  • Patent number: 5500605
    Abstract: The invention is a method for testing an electronic device (10) of the type having on one side thereof an array of conductive projections, such as solder balls (15), arranged in a first configuration. An array of spring-loaded probes (25) is arranged in the first configuration. An insulative template (18) is formed comprising an array of apertures (19) arranged in the first configuration which is aligned with the spring-loaded conductive probes. The electronic device (10) is then forced against the template (18) such that each solder ball (15) projects into the aperture to contact a spring-loaded conductive probe (25). Electrical current is passed through at least part of the electronic device, at least some of the solder balls, and at least some of the conductive probes as is required for electrical testing of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: David D. C. Chang
  • Patent number: 5483611
    Abstract: Apparatus for holding optical fibers in a matrix configuration comprises a holder member (20) and a pair of parallel alignment members (25) extending in an X direction and attached to the holder member. A plurality of fiber support members (11), each containing a column of optical fibers (13) are arranged side-by-side in the X direction, such that the end surfaces of the optical fibers form an X-Y matrix configuration. First and second alignment pins (16) bear against opposite sides of each fiber support member. Each alignment pin extends beyond the fiber support member and bears against a reference surface of one of the alignment members (25). Clamping means (27) connected to the holder member forces the alignment pins against the reference surfaces of the alignment members. By making the reference surfaces in the alignment member of the requisite precision, one insures relative alignment of the fiber support members (11 ) with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Nagesh R. Basavanhally
  • Patent number: 5481638
    Abstract: A first portion of an optical fiber encapsulant is selectively removed by softening it; i.e., converting the first portion from a solid state to a partly fluid state, as by exposure to an appropriate chemical. The first portion (12) is then penetrated with at least first and second knife edges (14, 15), the penetration being on opposite sides of the optical fiber (10). The first portion of the encapsulant is removed from the optical fiber by providing relative movement between the knife edges and the optical fiber, the movement being in the direction of the central axis of the fiber, thereby to gather at least part of the first portion of the encapsulant on the knife edges. In a preferred embodiment, third and fourth knife edges (16, 17) the also included on opposite sides of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Richard A. Roll, Muhammed A. Shahid
  • Patent number: 5477933
    Abstract: An electronic device (11) has on one surface a first ball grid array (12) having a first area. The first ball grid array is bonded to a first intermediate interconnection member (13) having on an opposite surface a second ball grid array having the same number of solder balls (23) as the first array, but of a significantly larger area than that of the first array. Each of the solder balls (23) of the second ball grid array is connected by a connection comprising a conductive via ( 18, 19) extending through the first interconnection member (13) to one of the solder balls of the first ball grid array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Hung N. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 5468338
    Abstract: The invention is an improvement of a method for selectively etching a first surface of each of a plurality of wafers (21-23) comprising the steps of masking the entirety of each wafer except certain exposed portions to be etched on the first surface, and immersing the wafers in a heated etch bath (34) for a sufficient time to etch V-grooves (11) into the first surfaces. In one embodiment, the wafers are arranged in the etch bath with the first surface of each wafer (the surface to be etched) facing the first surface of another wafer. The first surfaces of all of the wafers are substantially parallel and are all substantially transverse to a bottom surface of the vessel containing the etch bath. The bottom surface of the vessel is heated to make in the etch bath a temperature gradient that is at a maximum at the bottom surface of the vessel and a minimum at the top surface of the bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp.
    Inventor: Muhammed A. Shahid
  • Patent number: 5439782
    Abstract: Tapered optical waveguides (33') can be easily made by using photolithographic masking and etching to define on a substrate (21) a first polymer structure (22) having a substantially uniform thickness and a tapered width. The first polymer structure is heated sufficiently to form a meniscus along its entire length. The fluidity causes the material to redistribute itself such that, rather than being of uniform thickness, it has a thickness that varies with its width; consequently, the thickness as well as the width of the first polymer structure becomes tapered. The first polymer is cooled and hardened to form a second polymer structure (22') that has a tapered width and a tapered thickness as is desirable for a tapered optical waveguide. The second polymer structure itself can be used as a tapered optical waveguide, or it can be used to control the reactive ion etching of the underlying substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: William H. Haemmerle, William M. MacDonald, Casimir R. Nijander, Joseph Shmulovich, Wesley P. Townsend, Yiu-Huen Wong
  • Patent number: 5439849
    Abstract: An encapsulant comprised of alternate layers of polymer and glass gives enhanced protection to semiconductor integrated circuit devices, which is much more effective than either glass or polymer encapsulations by themselves. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device (11) is covered by a polymer layer (13), the polymer layer being covered by a glass layer (14), and the glass layer being covered by a second polymer layer (15). The glass is preferably deposited by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus (17 of FIG. 2 ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Richard McBride, Ching-Ping Wong
  • Patent number: 5438112
    Abstract: Silicone resin is used by adding, to the uncured silicone resin, platinum suspended in a liquid carrier which is miscible in the silicone resin, the liquid carrier being selected from the group consisting of silicone oil and liquid hydrocarbon materials. The platinum preferably consists of particles of essentially pure platinum, each particle having a diameter of less than ten microns. The ratio of the platinum to the silicone resin is preferably in the range of three to ten parts per million.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-Ping Wong
  • Patent number: 5425831
    Abstract: Optical fiber (12)extending from an optical coupler (11) is routed on a substrate layer (13) by first inserting the optical coupler in a device holder (16) having a slotted member (17). An opening in a substrate layer is made to match a cavity (19) in a support member (20). The device holder is inserted in the cavity (19) of the support member (20) and the substrate layer (13) is supported by the support member (20) such that the opening exposes the device holder (16). The optical fiber extending from the optical coupler is inserted into a slot of the slotted member (17) such that a bridging portion (21) of the fiber bridges a distance between the upper surface of the substrate layer (13) and the slotted member (17). The bridging portion of the optical fiber is engaged with a routing device, and the fiber is then muted on the upper surface of the substrate layer (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Gary J. Grimes, William R. Holland
  • Patent number: 5421930
    Abstract: A winding tool (14) is provided on a manipulator (18) of a type used to route the optical fiber. A hook (22) extends from the winding tool to capture optical fiber (10) extending from a device (11), and the hook is retracted to secure the fiber. A routing wheel (17) is positioned between the device (11 ) to which the optical fiber is connected and the reel such that the wheel can press the optical fiber (10) against an adhesive-coated substrate. The winding tool then winds the optical fiber around a reel (16). The optical fiber next feeds from the reel (16) to the routing wheel (17) as the manipulator (18) is moved to route the optical fiber on the coated substrate. Preferably, prior to the winding and wheel positioning step, the optical fiber between the reel and the routing wheel is engaged with an alignment tool (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company
    Inventor: William R. Holland
  • Patent number: 5415730
    Abstract: Aluminized optical fiber is used for transmitting electricity, as well as transmitting lightwaves. In one example, an aluminized optical fiber (17) is bonded within a photonics package in contact with a conductor (15) that interconnects it to a photonic device (12) or electronic circuit. Power is then supplied to the package by applying it to the aluminized coating (19) of the optical fiber. This avoids the need for a separate conductor extending into the photonics package for supplying electrical power. It also may significantly simplify system design since the power supply can conveniently be included a fairly remote distance from the photonics package.The aluminized optical fiber can be bonded to a metallization in the V-groove (13) that provides electrical contact simply by applying heat and pressure. This allows the aluminized fiber to be bonded without the need for any adhesives, while assuring good electrical contact for the transmission of electrical power. According to another embodiment (FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Everett J. Canning, Ranjan Dutta
  • Patent number: 5407788
    Abstract: The solubility of tetramethylammonium hydroxide pentahydrate in dimethyl sulfoxide is significantly increased by adding to the solution a quantity of dipropyleneglycol monomethylether. This permits up to twelve percent of the tetramethylammonium hydroxide pentahydrate to be dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide, rather than the maximum of two percent that would otherwise be the case, which enhances the capacity of the solution to strip photoresist. Particularly, if the concentration of dipropyleneglycol monomethylether is in the range of ten to thirty percent, one can obtain both a high stripping rate and a much higher stripping capacity. For example, stripping capacity may be increased from one hundred forty substrates per gallon to six hundred substrates per gallon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Treliant Fang
  • Patent number: 5394504
    Abstract: Optical fibers are encapsulated, first by bonding them to a first surface (18) of a flat member (17) having first and second opposite major surfaces. The flat member and a sheet of thermoplastic (13) are placed in an air-tight chamber (10) such that a first major surface of the sheet faces the first major surface (18) of the flat member (17). Next, the air pressure on the second major surface of the flat member is made to be significantly lower than the air pressure on the second surface of the thermoplastic sheet (13), thereby to cause the sheet to press against the flat member. The thermoplastic sheet is heated sufficiently during this process to cause it to adhere to the first surface (18) of the flat member, thereby to encapsulate the optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: John J. Burack, William R. Holland, Frederick Simchock