Patents Examined by Alain L. Bashore
  • Patent number: 7351447
    Abstract: A method of producing an anti-reflection film includes forming a first layer on a transparent substrate, forming a second layer on the first layer, and forming the third layer on the second layer. When an optical admittance Y at a surface of the second layer is represented by, Y = H E = ( x + iy ) where i is the imaginary number unit, thicknesses and reflective indexes of the substrate, first layer, second layer, and third layer are selected so that x and y satisfy the following formula, 0.9x{(n2?n02)/2n0}2<{x?(n2+n02)/2n0}2+y2<1.1x{(n2?n02)/2n0}2 where n is a refractive index of the third layer and n0 is a refractive index of an outer region at an outside of the anti-reflection film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nishida, Yukihiro Kusano, Nobuko Kato
  • Patent number: 7351448
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for coating surfaces of metal or metallic components including providing at least one metal having a patterned outer surface exhibiting an optical reflection greater than about 40%, providing at least one anti-reflective coating material, the anti-reflective coating material(s) including effective amount of electrically conductive light scattering and/or wavelength absorbent properties, and depositing the anti-reflective coating material(s) onto the patterned outer surface(s) of each metal, wherein the anti-reflective coating material(s) conforms to the desired patterned outer surface(s) of each metal. In another embodiment, a coated metal component includes at least one metal having a patterned outer surface(s); and, a coating of at least one antireflective material deposited on the metal patterned outer surface by deposition, wherein the antireflective coating material(s) including effective amount of electrically conductive light scattering and/or wavelength absorbent properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: David J. Irvin, Andrew Guenthner, Nicholas Prokopuk
  • Patent number: 7340423
    Abstract: Defining a relationship between an account and a group. Accounts corresponding to different products are linked together to create a group so that group processing can be performed at the group level while independent processing of the accounts is performed at the account level. The relationship between a dependent account and the group is specified by a dependent strategy. A dependent strategy specifies group level processing options for the account. The relationships between the accounts and the group are flexible to accommodate changes in the status of the group cardholders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: First Data Corporation
    Inventors: Lynn Holm Blagg, Darren D. Beck
  • Patent number: 7335392
    Abstract: The objectives of the present invention are to provide a stable and simple method for producing a rare earth metal-based permanent magnet having on the surface thereof a corrosion-resistant film containing fine zinc particles dispersed therein, a corrosion-resistant rare earth metal-based permanent magnet produced by the method, a dip spin coating method being suitable for forming a coating film on thin type work pieces having various shapes, and a method for forming a coating film on a work piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Neomax Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohshi Yoshimura, Tomoiku Otani
  • Patent number: 7332194
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is disclosed that is characterized by a lowered noise component and improved thermal stability. The method for making the recording medium includes the serial steps of forming a soft magnetic back-lining layer on a non-magnetic substrate, forming an intermediate layer on the soft magnetic back-lining layer, forming a magnetic recording layer on the intermediate layer, and forming a protective film and then a liquid lubricating layer on the magnetic recording layer. Thermal treatment is executed after the formation of the magnetic recording layer and before the formation of the protective film, or after the formation of the protective film and before the formation of the liquid lubricating layer. The thermal-processing steps are is executed in a vacuum higher than about 0.1 Pa and in a thermal environment within a range from about 200° C. to about 250° C. for a period of less than about 60 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Device Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunji Takenoiri, Yasushi Sakai
  • Patent number: 7329435
    Abstract: Continuous void-free uniform coatings are formed on filamentous articles by applying a voided or otherwise substantially uneven coating to at least some of the exposed portion of a filamentous article or to a rotating substrate. The filamentous article or substrate is passed through an improvement station containing a plurality of coating-wetted rolls that contact and re-contact the wet coating at different positions along the length of the filamentous article or rotating substrate, wherein the periods of the rolls improve the uniformity of the coating. For coatings applied to a rotating substrate, the uniform wet coating is transferred to the filamentous article. The final coating can be very thin, very uniform and completely or substantially void-free. The coating improvement can be quickly and easily obtained using low cost equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: William K. Leonard
  • Patent number: 7329434
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for forming an integral protective layer on a polarizing layer comprising coating the layer with a sol, gelling the sol, and then curing the coating to form a contiguous crosslinked adherent protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: YuanQiao Rao, Tomohiro Ishikawa, Paul T. Lubberts, Timothy C. Schunk
  • Patent number: 7330833
    Abstract: A system and method for auctioning services. A rating system is employed to rate the buyer's transaction history, with respect to their frequency of following through with the bids for jobs that they submitted for auction. This rating system deters those buyers that casually shop for pricing with little chance of following through with the auction. A low rating discourages service providers from bidding, thereby decreasing the competitiveness of an auction and increasing the cost of obtaining the service. The buyer follow-through ratings give the bidders a better sense of the buyer's commitment prior to deciding on allocating resources to participate in bidding at the auction. In one embodiment, the system and method for auctioning services are implemented over an information exchange network. In a further aspect, buyers request and specify at the start of the auction the number of lowest bids the buyers would like to see.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Printvision, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Robb, Thomas Riemer
  • Patent number: 7329433
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a coated article, including the steps of: (A) providing a substrate; (B) depositing one or more dielectric layers over the substrate, the dielectric layers comprising: (i) a first dielectric film having at least one film of zinc oxide, silicon oxide, tin oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitrate, or an oxide of an alloy of zinc and tin having zinc in a weight percent range of 10 to 90 and tin in a weight percent range of 90 to 10, and (ii) a second dielectric film deposited over the first dielectric film, the second dielectric film having at least: a zinc oxide, tin oxide film, wherein the zinc oxide, tin oxide film has tin in a weight percent range of greater than 0 to less than 10 and the majority of the balance being zinc; and (C) depositing one or more infrared reflective layers on at least one of the dielectric layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis J. O'Shaughnessy, James J. Finiey, Paul A. Medwick
  • Patent number: 7326436
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method of fabricating a magnetic recording medium capable of forming a protective layer with a stable performance even in a case where a thickness thereof is as thin as 100 nm or less, and a magnetic recording medium fabricated by the method. A magnetic recording medium is fabricated in the following manner, that is, a magnetic layer having a ferromagnetic metal thin film having a thickness as thin as 100 nm or less is formed on one main surface of a long non-magnetic support, and on the magnetic layer, a protective layer containing carbon is formed by the chemical vapor deposition process using an ion source equipped with a hollow cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Wako
  • Patent number: 7323216
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for applying a coating on an end of an optical fiber by dipping said end into a unsolidified coating liquid. In a first sequence, the fiber end is moved towards the surface (18) of the liquid by a gripping means (11). The distance between the end face (26) of the fiber and the surface of the liquid is measured continuously by measuring means including a vision camera (23). The measured actual distance value is compared with a preset distance value and the first moving sequence is ended when the actual distance value is equal to the preset value. In a second sequence, the fiber end is dipped a predetermined depth in the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Magnus Larsson, Jan-Åke Engstrand
  • Patent number: 7323212
    Abstract: A dummy dispense of liquid is controlled by recording a time at which a substrate is processed; recording a time at which a liquid is dispensed; comparing the time at which the substrate is processed and the time at which the liquid is dispensed to generate a dummy dispense signal when a dummy dispense is required. A system for controlling dummy dispense of liquid includes at least one information storage device storing a time at which a substrate is processed and a time at which a liquid is dispensed. At least one processor compares the time at which the substrate is processed and the time at which the liquid is dispensed to determine whether a dummy dispense is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong-Yi Wu, Chih-Jung Weng, Chung-Cheng Ni, Yi-Hsin Yu
  • Patent number: 7323217
    Abstract: An optical-interference type reflective panel and a method for making the same are disclosed, wherein the display panel has a substrate on which multiple supporting layers are firstly formed. Then, a plurality of first conductive optical film stacks, spacing layers and multiple second conductive optical film stacks are sequentially formed on the substrate. Finally, once the spacing layers are removed, optical-interference regulators are formed. Since said supporting layers forming step is prior to the first conductive optical film stacks, a precise back-side exposing step is not necessary so that the making procedure of the panel is simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen-Jian Lin, Hsiung-Kuang Tsai
  • Patent number: 7323215
    Abstract: By using a composite free layer of Fe25% Co/NiFe, an improved CPP GMR device has been created. The resulting structure yields a higher CPP GMR ratio than prior art devices, while maintaining free layer softness and acceptable magnetostriction. A process for manufacturing the device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Min Li, Cheng T. Horng, Ru-Ying Tong
  • Patent number: 7323214
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic wave absorbing sheet excellent in permeability in high frequencies and to provide a method for manufacturing the same. The electromagnetic wave absorbing sheet of the present invention comprises insulating layers on the both sides of a magnetic layer. The magnetic layer is formed by densely depositing a large amount of magnetic powder such that the powder undergoes plastic deformation. Each magnetic powder is made to be a composite magnetic material formed of the soft magnetic metal phase consisting of a flaky soft magnetic metal powder and the insulating phase consisting of an insulating film formed on the surface of the soft magnetic metal phase. Additionally, another configuration can be taken in which a conductive layer is arranged on one of the insulating layers arranged on both sides of the magnetic layer, and the conductive layer is covered with an insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Wakayama, Masahiro Karatsu, Tsutomu Chou, Yasuo Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7320812
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a coated sheet that may form a coated layer having a uniform film thickness by a coating liquid even when a substrate has a large area is provided. A method for manufacturing a coated sheet to form a coated layer by a process including a process (1) for coating a coating liquid including a resin material and a solvent on a substrate, and a drying process (2) for drying a coated liquid, wherein a drying is performed under drying wind flow having an average wind speed of 10 m/s or less until a viscosity of the coated liquid in the drying process (2) reaches at least 50 [mPa·s] at drying temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Masuda, Kazuki Tsuchimoto, Seiji Kondou
  • Patent number: 7318948
    Abstract: A thin film of zinc oxide is deposited by sputter deposition in a partial pressure of oxygen on a suitable at a low temperature, such as less than 300 degrees Centigrade, to provide an amorphous film. This should take place in a sputtering environment which will produce an oxygen deficient film layer. After this, the film is crystallized by heat treatment in an oxygen free environment in a given temperature range. The thin film produced by this process will have very low electrical resistance, is transparent from about the visible to beyond 10 microns in wavelength, is highly resistant to laser energy and is highly conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Alvin J. Drehman
  • Patent number: 7318947
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic element are described. The method and system include providing a pinned layer, fabricating a metallic spacer layer and oxidizing a portion of the spacer layer in an environment including at least oxygen and a gas inert with respect to the spacer layer to provide an oxide layer. The method and system also include creating a free layer. The oxide layer is between a remaining metallic portion of the spacer layer and the free layer. In one aspect, the system includes a chamber and a gas diffusion apparatus within the chamber. The gas diffusion apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles and defines a plane. The gas exits each of the plurality of nozzles in a cone having an apex angle. The nozzles are directed at a nozzle tilt angle of at least half of the apex angle from the plane and the spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Chang-Man Park, Shin Funada, Amritpal S. Rana, Daniel E. Scott
  • Patent number: 7318949
    Abstract: A method for dispensing towels contained in a compartment and selectively treating the towels with a fluid comprises the steps of extracting a dispensable towel from the compartment, through a towel delivery conduit extending through a removable cover disposed on the compartment, and from a top opening of the cover, and selectively applying the fluid to the towel as the towel is extracted through the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Inventor: William Shadrach, III
  • Patent number: 7314647
    Abstract: A method for producing a magnetic recording medium includes heat-curing a coated substrate to cure a non-magnetic back coat on the substrate and to cure a magnetic front coat on the substrate, and calendering the heat-cured coated substrate to produce the magnetic recording medium. The calendering optionally is off-line calendering during which the substrate passes between opposed, generally non-compliant rolls. Other methods, and magnetic recording media produced by the disclosed methods, also are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Bruce H. Edwards, Roger J. Mandt, David J. Owen, Brian D. Brong, Nang T. Tran, Douglas G. Pedrotty