Patents Assigned to General Scanning, Inc.
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Patent number: 5654800Abstract: A triangulation-based method and system for high speed 3D and gray scale imaging and associated pre-processing of digitized information allows for estimation or filtering of height and gray scale values. This estimation is based upon the confidence level of the information obtained from a pair of sensors and also based upon knowledge of the object structure and its reflectance characteristics. A modulated laser beam is scanned across the object to create a plurality of spots which are viewed by a pair of well-matched receivers. Each receiver includes a light collection and delivery system, a position sensitive detector, and an associated ratio-metric signal processor, or similar means for extraction of height and intensity information or data by triangulation. An optional automatic light control sub-system provides greatly extended dynamic range with control inputs derived from an amplifying detector included in each receiver to maximize occurrences of valid data points.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1996Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Assignee: General Scanning Inc,Inventors: Donald J. Svetkoff, Donald K. Rohrer, Robert W. Kelley
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Patent number: 5576741Abstract: A modular-design recorder consists of a "print engine," a drive assembly for moving a print medium, e.g., paper, through the print engine, and a chassis for supporting the engine and the assembly. The chassis includes two identical sets of mounting studs, one on either side, for the mounting of the drive assembly. The drive assembly consists of a motor, a gear train through which the motor rotates the roller, and a bracket for mounting the motor on the either side of the chassis in a number of different angular orientations. The motor attaches to one end of the bracket, such that it mounts facing either toward or away from the chassis. The opposite end of the bracket mates with the mounting studs on the selected side of the chassis. The print engine consists of a print head, a roller for advancing the paper past the print head and a deflector.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 1993Date of Patent: November 19, 1996Assignee: General Scanning Inc.Inventors: Stephen Johnson, Alfred C. Mecklenburg, Daniel E. Morgan, William S. Oakland, Edward H. Yonkers
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Patent number: 5537109Abstract: A variable capacitance high precision, stable transducer for detecting position of a moving member including a first stationary conducting surface connected to a source, a second surface with at least two conducting, sensing regions and a third movable conductive surface located between the first surface and the second surface and connected to the moving member. The third surface is adapted to modulate charge transfered from the source surface before reaching the sensing regions. The difference of signals detected at the individual sensing regions is utilized to determine the position of the moving member and the sum of the signals is utilized to achieve appropriate correction in a feedback loop connected to the source.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1993Date of Patent: July 16, 1996Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Roger D. Dowd
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Patent number: 5528411Abstract: A resonant scanner mounts a mirror on a support that is torsionally compliant, yet stiff in the lateral directions. A torsion bar serves as the torsional spring that resonates with the rotating mass. One end of the bar is rigidly coupled to the mirror, the other end is clamped against rotation. The mirror support effectively prevents lateral movement of the mirror yet it has negligible effect on the resonance characteristics of the scanner. The clamping structure that secures the clamped end of torsion bar is stiff in the lateral direction and compliant in the axial direction, thus preventing lateral movement while accommodating changes in the length of the torsion bar which accompany its twisting action.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 1994Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: General Scanning Inc.Inventor: Michael Burdenko
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Patent number: 5521740Abstract: Leaf springs suspend a frame within an outer housing of a resonant optical scanner. The leaf springs are substantially perpendicular to the axis of torsional oscillation and to the direction of transverse oscillation of the rotor and, therefore, reduce the transmission of vibrational forces from the scanner to an optical bed.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1995Date of Patent: May 28, 1996Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Pierre J. Brosens
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Patent number: 5424632Abstract: A galvanometer is shown, which includes a cylindrical magnetic rotor polarized into two essentially semi-cylindrical poles on opposite sides of its axis. Two coil portions are disposed on opposite sides of the rotor, separated by a plane of symmetry that is in essential alignment with the poles of the rotor at the center of its range of motion. The legs of each grouping of turns of each coil portion are disposed in a distribution beginning at a point corresponding to the radial surface of the bobbin on which the coil portion is wound, and extending continuously substantially to the plane of symmetry. The distribution may be lower in density at the plane of symmetry than spaced therefrom and may approximate an inverse cosine distribution. A rotor is shown that includes a thin-walled torque-bearing sleeve encircling at least a portion of the magnet and is joined to the output shaft and the magnet. A fastener anchors the bobbin to the shell to prevent relative rotation therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 1992Date of Patent: June 13, 1995Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean Montagu
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Patent number: 5300756Abstract: A method for severing integrated-circuit conductive links by laser power employs a phase plate (26) to shape the laser beam's intensity profile. The profile thus imparted to the beam approximates the Fourier transform of the intensity profile desired on the workpiece (34). As a consequence, when a focusing lens (32) receives a beam having the profile imparted by the phase plate (26), it focuses that beam into a spot on the workpiece (34) having an intensity profile more desirable than the ordinary Gaussian laser-beam profile.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 1991Date of Patent: April 5, 1994Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: James J. Cordingley
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Patent number: 5237444Abstract: In a scanner system (10) in which two scanners (14 and 16) deflect light from a laser (12) in orthogonal directions along a cylindrical object surface (18), the light from the laser is focused by a combination of an image-forming lens (24) disposed between the laser (12) and the first scanner (14) and a negative field-flattening lens (28) disposed between the two scanners (14 and 16) so as to compensate the effective focal length for the change in light-path length that results from deflection by the first scanner (14).Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1992Date of Patent: August 17, 1993Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Mack J. Schermer
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Patent number: 5235180Abstract: An analog optical position transducer for detecting angular position of a rotatable member of a motor. The transducer includes a plurality of sensing surfaces placed in one frame of reference and a modulator located in another frame of reference, one of the frames of reference being stationary and the other moving with the rotatable member. The relative angular position of the two frames of reference is determined from the amount of light varied by the modulator and detected by the sensing surfaces. The modulator employs a radiation source which is located on a diffusive surface or which irradiates the diffusive surface of the modulator. Radiation emitted from the diffusive surface is modulated by the modulator depending on the relative position of the modulator and the sensing surfaces. A lens focuses the emitted radiation onto the sensing surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1992Date of Patent: August 10, 1993Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
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Patent number: 5225923Abstract: A confocal microscope (10) includes a scanner assembly (38) in which the x-axis deflector assembly includes two resonant scanners (50 and 52) that oscillate about parallel axes at different frequencies, one of which is a harmonic of the other. As a consequence, the x-axis scan can be nearly linear even though it is provided resonantly and thus benefits from the high-speed capabilities of resonant systems. A galvanometer (64) pivots the housing of one of the resonant scanners (50) about its axis so as to provide x-axis panning.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1992Date of Patent: July 6, 1993Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
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Patent number: 5225770Abstract: A galvanometer is shown, which includes a cylindrical magnetic rotor polarized into two essentially semi-cylindrical poles on opposite sides of its axis. Two coil portions are disposed on opposite sides of the rotor, separated by a plane of symmetry that is in essential alignment with the poles of the rotor at the center of its range of motion. The legs of each grouping of turns of each coil portion are disposed in a distribution beginning at a point corresponding to the radial surface of the bobbin on which the coil portion is wound, and extending continuously substantially to the plane of symmetry. The distribution may be lower in density at the plane of symmetry than spaced therefrom and may approximate an inverse cosine distribution. A rotor is shown that includes a thin-walled torque-bearing sleeve encircling at least a portion of the magnet and is joined to the output shaft and the magnet. A fastener anchors the bobbin to the shell to prevent relative rotation therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1991Date of Patent: July 6, 1993Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean Montagu
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Patent number: 5169050Abstract: To provide the necessary vertical motion of a wire- bonding head (20) mounted on a flexural pivot (16), a wire-bonding machine (10) includes an actuator comprising a permanent magnet (56) mounted on the flexural pivot (16) and extending into the central passage (49) of a ferromagnetic sleeve (46) in which two oppositely wound coils (50 and 52) are mounted. The magnetic force resulting from current flow through the coils (50 and 52) causes the head assembly (18) to pivot about the flexural-pivot axis (16) and thus cause the magnet (56) to move out of symmetry with respect to the ferromagnetic sleeve (46). The resultant attraction between the permanent magnet (56) and the ferromagnetic sleeve (46) tends to counteract the resistance of the flexural pivot (16) to pivotal displacement from a rest position but does not additionally reduce the stiffness of the flexural pivot to other, undesired modes of motion.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1991Date of Patent: December 8, 1992Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
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Patent number: 5150249Abstract: A two-dimensional scanner employs first and second pivotable mirrors (36 and 40) to control the position of the target point that a light spot assumes in a target plane (44). The second mirror (40) is driven in a resonant mode. An f.multidot..theta. lens (42) converts the pincushion error that would otherwise result into a barreling error, which can be compensated for by controlling the amplitude of the second mirror's oscillations.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 1991Date of Patent: September 22, 1992Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
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Patent number: 5123024Abstract: A closed loop circuit for controlling the intensity of light emitted by a laser diode. A portion of the light emitted by the laser diode is used as an optical feedback signal and applied to a photodetector. The difference between a current produced by the photodetector and a reference current is an error current which is passed via a low impedance path to an integrating amplifier. The integrated error current is used to control the current flowing through the laser diode, thereby controlling the intensity of light emitted.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1991Date of Patent: June 16, 1992Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventors: Roger D. Dowd, Peter T. Flowers
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Patent number: 5121138Abstract: A resonant scanner control system controls a laser source using a pixel clock which uses a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a phase detector to track continuously throughout the entire scan cycle the pixel-to-pixel and cycle-to-cycle operations of the scanner. The clock includes a VCO which changes frequency in a linear manner in response to changes in a frequency-control voltage applied to it. The VCO includes a negative feedback loop which consists of a frequency-to-voltage converter, which converts the VCO output to a related voltage, and a summing/integrating circuit, which compares this voltage with the frequency-control voltage which is produced in response to pixel related control signals and then integrates the difference. The integrated signal drives the VCO, which produces in response an output signal whose frequency varies linearly with variations in the pixel-related frequency-control signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1990Date of Patent: June 9, 1992Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventors: Mack J. Schermer, Roger D. Dowd
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Patent number: 5099386Abstract: A variable-capacitance transducer detects the angular position of a rotatable member. The transducer includes a first capacitance plate having a plurality of electrically conductive capacitance electrodes, a second capacitance plate spaced therefrom, and a dielectric element located between the plates. At least two of the electrodes are interconnected by a conductive trace. The dielectric element or one of the plates is fixedly mounted on the rotatable member. The electrodes on the first capacitance plate, in conjunction with the second capacitance plate, form a plurality of capacitances that vary as the angular position of the rotatable member changes. A conductive guard partially envelopes the conductive trace and a conductive guard partially envelopes the electrodes on the first capacitive plate.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1991Date of Patent: March 24, 1992Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventors: Brian P. Stokes, Pierre Brosens, Stephen O'Dea, Albert K. Bukys, Steven M. Burgarella, Jean I. Montagu
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Patent number: 5097356Abstract: An optical scanner has a visco-elastic material within a flexible coupling in its shaft assembly. The flexible coupling serves to permit bending of the assembly in response to lateral vibration. However, in response to the bending, the visco-elastic material disposed therein undergoes viscous deformation, thereby acting upon the shaft to rapidly damp the vibration.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1990Date of Patent: March 17, 1992Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Dean Paulsen
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Patent number: 5048904Abstract: A two-dimensional scanner employs first and second pivotable mirrors (36 and 40) to control the position of the target point that a light spot assumes in a target phase (44). The second mirror (40) is driven in a resonant mode. An f.multidot..theta. lens (42) converts the pincushion error that would otherwise result into a barreling error, which can be compensated for by controlling the amplitude of the second-mirror oscillations.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 1990Date of Patent: September 17, 1991Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
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Patent number: 4990808Abstract: A resonant rotationally oscillating mechanical system has masses supported by a resilient structure held at both ends on a stationary base to define a natural resonance frequency of intended rotational motion about an axis relative to the base. The resilient structure is asymmetrical along the axis. The masses are subject to additional motion relative to the base in directions different from the direction of intended motion. For a selected mode of motion, the masses and the asymmetrical resilient structure are mutually configured, in accordance with equations of motion, to substantially preclude angular motion of one of the masses relative to the base about an axis other than the axis of the intended rotational motion. In another aspect, the resilient structure has one end attached to the base by a coupler that permits that end to move relative to the base, but only at frequencies different from the natural resonance frequency of motion.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1989Date of Patent: February 5, 1991Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Dean R. Paulsen
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Patent number: 4959568Abstract: An element that moves resonantly has its resonant frequency dynamically tuned to a desired frequency by two components that cooperate via magnetic fields, one component being mounted for motion with the moving element.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1986Date of Patent: September 25, 1990Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.Inventor: Brian P. Stokes