Patents Examined by Edward P. Westin
  • Patent number: 6031557
    Abstract: Disclosed is a photographic printer with bi-directional sweeping of a color CRT to expose a photosensitive medium. Image data from a host system is received by the printer and stored in a data drive system. The data drive system converts the data into a series of rows of dot row data to produce the appropriate image desired. Linear deflection amplifiers sweep the CRT's electron beam across the color phosphor areas on the face of the CRT to expose the medium utilizing the dot row data. The present invention sweeps and writes data bi-directionally, eliminating the retrace period associated with sweeping and writing in one direction, and without any hold periods once printing starts. The data in every other dot row is processed in reverse order so that the dot row data utilized in the reverse writing sweep will be exposed onto the medium in proper relationship to the rows written before and after it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Sienna Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Kerry L. Shaklee, Daniel C. O'Brien, Kurt A. Leniger, Gary L. Brackett, Richard W. Denny
  • Patent number: 6031240
    Abstract: A method of ion implantation is provided by utilizing an ion implantation apparatus comprising a disc having a slit, an ion source, and a scanning mechanism for scanning the ion beam by moving the disc two-dimensionally which includes a motor, a stepping motor etc. The quantity of ions in the ion beam is first measured at a plurality of positions along the longitudinal direction of the slit and a plurality of data sets representing the position in the slit and the quantity of ions in the ion beam is provided. The quantity of ions in the ion beam for the ion implantation is adjusted according to the data sets in order to obtain the uniform dose of ions introduced in the wafer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Shuichi Kodama
  • Patent number: 6031217
    Abstract: Active integrator optical sensor (13) having a photodetector (56) and an active integrator circuit. The active integrator circuit having an operational amplifier (50), an integrating capacitor (51) an offset capacitor (54) and a store capacitor (52). The active integrator circuit operating to integrate the electrical signal from photodetector (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Cecil J. Aswell, John H. Berlien, Jr., Eugene G. Dierschke
  • Patent number: 6031228
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the isotope ratio of samples containing carbon and nitrogen compounds. The method includes steps of (a) adding a sample containing carbon or nitrogen compounds to a sample introduction component in which a mixture of analytes is separated into specific molecules, and wherein said sample introduction comprises means for continuous sample introduction into a chemical reaction interface (CRI); wherein said CRI converts intact carbon and nitrogen analytes into new element-specific compounds in an environment comprising fluorine to resolve said compounds; and (b) calculating the isotope ratio of the compounds of said sample with mass spectrometer capable of making precise isotopic measurements. The reactant gas in the reaction chamber is a fluorine gas which allows for better resolution and calculation of the isotope ratio of carbon and nitrogen compounds, with hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen-containing compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Inventor: Fred P. Abramson
  • Patent number: 6028306
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes a multiple point source producing device for producing a plurality of point sources arranged in an orderly array or focal points equivalent thereto; a scanning device for scanning in small regions into which the point sources or the focal points are divided; a plurality of minute apertures located at positions conjugate with the point sources or the focal points; a light-receiving device composed of a plurality of light-receiving elements for independently receiving light transmitted through the minute apertures; and a specimen image producing device for forming an image of a specimen in accordance with the amount of deflection caused by the scanning device and a signal received by the light-receiving device. In this way, the scanning microscope in which illumination efficiency is good and a real-time observation can be made is provide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6028311
    Abstract: The present invention provides a generally applicable apparatus and method for achieving measurements of a constituent in a sample. This is achieved by employing a detection means having a plurality of detectors responsive to radiation in a selected region of the spectrum, e.g., the infrared. In most embodiments, at least two of the detectors provide broad wavelength bandpass. If narrow bandpass sources or detectors are used, the information generated is processed in a manner similar to broadband information. The broad bandpass response of the detectors can be contrasted with the approach of classical spectrophotometry, in which the spectral response of the detectors is designed to be as narrow as feasible, and substantially narrower than the spectral features of the constituent or constituents of interest. The data is processed such that the contributions of known background constituents and scattering is eliminated prior to further processing, thereby yielding a better result in high background situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Optix LP
    Inventors: Lester Sodickson, Howard E. Guthermann, Myron J. Block
  • Patent number: 6028321
    Abstract: Accessories for a device used for reading a latent image recorded on an image plate by means of X-radiation. The device comprises: a drum element (8), having a concave peripheral surface (7); drive means (20) for rotating (R) the drum element at such a speed that a flexible image plate (1) located inside the drum element against the peripheral surface substantially retains the shape thereof; a light source (14) for focusing a stimulating light on the image plate (1), a light detector (17) for detecting the emitted light, as well as means (27) for moving the stimulating light and the light detector relative to the image plate in a direction (M) of said axis. The accessories comprise at least two balancing blocks (4, 5), which constitute permanent parts of the drum element and are located at a distance from the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Orion-Yhtyma Oy
    Inventor: Matti Rantanen
  • Patent number: 6028318
    Abstract: A device that automatically detects the stiffness of the paper as an indicator of paper weight and thickness. The detection system of the invention includes a moveable media guide and a sensor responsive to movement of the guide. It is desirable that the media guide have a curved media contact surface to resist the paper as it is pushed along the guide. A biasing element operatively coupled to the guide may be used to regulate the resistance of the guide to the advancing paper. Stiff heavier weight paper causes the guide to move as the paper is pushed along the contact surface of the guide. Less stiff lighter weight paper will not cause the guide to move, or at least not as much as the stiff heavier weight paper. A sensor responds to the movement of the guide to detect the stiffness and, therefore, the weight of the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: William L. Cornelius
  • Patent number: 6028317
    Abstract: An optical element includes two electrodes 1 and 2 arranged at a distance to oppose each other and configured to converge an electron beam. The opposing surfaces of the electrodes 1 and 2 are so formed as to be cylindrically symmetrical along the beam passing direction and to form curves obtained by deforming hyperbolas in a direction perpendicular to the beam passing direction, in order that an electric field whose effective part except for an arbitrary constant of the field potential is given by.phi.=(k/2)r.sup.2 -.alpha.lnr-kz.sup.2is spatially partially formed in a cylindrical coordinate system defined by (r, z, .theta.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Murooka, Munehiro Ogasawara, Hitoshi Sunaoshi
  • Patent number: 6028312
    Abstract: A sensor with radiation detectors with two or more photoconductor elements and bias polarity switching of one element to emulate mechanical chopping of input radiation. This electronic chopping permits higher chopping frequencies than mechanical chopping for bolometers because the scene settling time does not limit electronic chopping. The detectors may be within a single vacuum integrated circuit package with separate narrow passband filters for chemical spectral analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark V. Wadsworth, William L. McCardel
  • Patent number: 6028319
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a calibration standard for use in a CCD or laser lead scanner for the measurement of lead configurations in an IC package by selectively making three leads with one on three of the four sides of the package at least 0.03 mm longer than the remaining leads such that a consistent calibration plane, i.e., seating plane, is obtained by the lead scanner such that the scanner can be calibrated for making accurate measurements. The utilization of the present invention calibration standard greatly improves the accuracy of measurements made by a CCD or laser lead scanner such that a repair and rework rate of up to 30% that is normally achieved by a conventional standard can be drastically reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun T. Tsai
  • Patent number: 6025589
    Abstract: Color optical sensor array (11) having a color optical sensor (13) with each color optical sensor (13) having a color photodetector (56) and an active integrator circuit. The active integrator circuit having an operational amplifier (50) and an integrating capacitor (51), the active integrator circuit operating to integrate and normalize the electrical signal from color photodetector (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Cecil J. Aswell, John H. Berlien, Jr., Eugene G. Dierschke
  • Patent number: 6025594
    Abstract: A support mounting supports the corona generating electrode of a corona generating device. A corona generating assembly includes a corona generating electrode member having an elongated length defining a plurality of support openings spaced along the length of the corona generating electrode member, a primary support member having integral, outwardly extending support projections for supporting the corona generating electrode member, with the integral support projections arranged on the primary support member at positions corresponding to the support openings formed in the corona generating electrode member for cooperative engagement therewith, and a secondary support member adapted to define support projection receiving openings corresponding to the support projections of the primary support member for interlocking engagement therewith, such that said corona generating electrode member is sandwiched between the primary support member and the secondary support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Bryce, Michael J. Mentus
  • Patent number: 6025681
    Abstract: A device which improves the electrical and thermomechanical performance of an RF cavity, for example, in a disk-loaded accelerating structure. A washer made of polycrystalline diamond is brazed in the middle to a copper disk washer and at the outer edge to the plane wave transformer tank wall, thus dissipating heat from the copper disk to the outer tank wall while at the same time providing strong mechanical support to the metal disk. The washer structure eliminates the longitudinal connecting rods and cooling channels used in the currently available cavities, and as a result minimizes problems such as shunt impedance degradation and field distortion in the plane wave transformer, and mechanical deflection and uneven cooling of the disk assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Duly Research Inc.
    Inventors: David U. L. Yu, Terry G. Lee
  • Patent number: 6025599
    Abstract: An X-ray image capture radiation detector for use in digital radiography is disclosed. The radiation detector has, in order, a dielectric substrate, a TFT transistor and a capacitor on the surface of the dielectric substrate, an insulating layer, a photoconductive layer over the insulating layer, a top dielectric layer, and a top conducting layer. The insulating layer prevents any direct charge transfer between the photoconductive layer and the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Direct Radiography Corp.
    Inventors: Denny L. Y. Lee, Lawrence K. Cheung, Lothar S. Jeromin
  • Patent number: 6025593
    Abstract: A scanning electron microscope is provided which can achieve an improved detection efficiency in the detection of secondary electrons without affecting an electron beam for irradiating a specimen, and which is suitable for detecting specific secondary electrons in a specific energy range. Secondary electrons 14 generated by irradiation of specimen 8 with electron beam 4 are decelerated by a decelerating electrical field formed by a pair of electrodes 10, 11 of field generation unit 28. Thereby, a portion of secondary electrons having a low energy is repelled. Other secondary electrons not having been repelled are deflected by a deflecting electrical field formed between the pair of electrodes as well as by a deflecting magnetic field which is orthogonal to the deflecting electrical field, to be detected by secondary electron detector 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomasa Suzuki, Mitsugu Sato
  • Patent number: 6023059
    Abstract: A dual format pre-objective scanner optionally, usable as a laser printer, having an incident beam from input optics incident on a polygon tower which is comprised of a first polygon and a second polygon rotating about an axis common to both the first and second polygon, the polygon tower capable of moving in a vertical direction so that the incident light is directed in a plane approximately perpendicular to the axis rotation of the first and second polygon, at either the first polygon or the second polygon, and with the polygon tower further being capable of moving in a lateral direction approximately perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the polygon tower or moved simultaneously both vertically and laterally so that incident beams on the facets of the first polygon become incident on the facets of the second polygon at approximately the same distance from a scan lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Douglass L. Blanding
  • Patent number: 6023066
    Abstract: An ultraviolet (UV) radiometer includes as one component a data collection unit which is sufficiently small that it can be placed in UV curing applications which have normally been inaccessible as another component a data reader into which the data collection unit is inserted for displaying and/or processing the actual data collected by the data collection unit during a process run. Because of its small size, the data collection unit makes it possible to obtain true process control in applications that could not previously be monitored. After making a dosage measurement, the data collection unit is inserted into the data reader to display the actual data collected during a UV curing run. After reading the data in the data collection unit, the data reader clears the previously stored data and resets the unit to take a new dosage reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Electronic Instrumentation and Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Scott Cain, Joe T. May, Matthew J. McConnell, Robert D. Radcliff, Christopher S. Rogers
  • Patent number: 6023060
    Abstract: A charged particle-beam microcolumn, which for example may be used for charged particle microscopy, with a T-shape configuration has a relatively narrow base structure supporting the beam forming charged particle optical column. The narrow base structure permits the T-shaped microcolumn and sample to be positioned at an angle other than normal with respect to each other, which allows generation of three-dimensional-like images of the sample surface. Thus, the incidence angle of the charged particle beam generated by the T-shaped microcolumn may be varied while a short working distance is maintained. A conventional secondary/backscattered charged particle detector may be used because the reflected angle of the charged particles allows a charged particle detector to be separated from the T-shaped microcolumn. Further, the small size of the T-shaped microcolumn permits observation of different parts of a large stationary sample by moving the T-shaped microcolumn with respect to the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Etec Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Tai-Hon P. Chang, Ho-Seob Kim
  • Patent number: 6023133
    Abstract: A parabolic signal generator (100) for use in a cathode ray tube (CRT) display circuit, comprising: programmable delay means (110) for receiving a CRT horizontal flyback signal and for producing a trigger signal which is delayed relative to the horizontal flyback signal by a programmable predetermined time; ramp generating means (130, 140) coupled to receive the trigger signal from the programmable delay means for producing a symmetric ramp signal in response to the trigger signal; and parabola generating means (150) coupled to receive the ramp signal from the ramp generating means for producing the parabolic signal. Since the trigger signal delay is programmable, it can be adjusted to match the delay of a range of external components. Since the ramp signal is symmetric it does not require the use of complex blanking circuitry to suppress spuriae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard Hon Yan Leung, Kwong Nam Chan, Kwok Ban Nip