Patents Examined by Michael Messinger
  • Patent number: 5138181
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for counting and determining at least one leucocytic sub-population, comprising a case for injecting a flow of sample to be analyzed inside a measurement tank through which a light beam passes, comprising internal and external nozzles for sleeving the sample by means of a pressurized liquid. Electrodes for the resistivity measurements of the leucocytic sub-population are component elements of the injection case. Units for collecting and processing the signals delivered by the optical sensor and the electrodes are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: ABX S.A.
    Inventors: Didier Lefevre, Henri Champseix, Serge Champseix
  • Patent number: 5138148
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a fiber optic receiving circuit which can obtain a sufficient frequency band even if a junction capacity of a photo diode is large, wherein a voltage dividing ratio of said voltage dividing circuit, a capacity value of a capacitor, a junction capacity value of a photo diode, and an open loop gain of an amplifier are determined so that current, which flows in the capacitor, cancels current, which flows in a junction capacity of the photo diode and causes frequency deterioration, and the junction capacity of the photo diode, which causes the frequency deterioration, does not relate to an output voltage of the amplifier, thereby obtaining a flat gain characteristic over the broad range of the frequency band regardless of the junction capacity of the photo diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shigeyuki Sakura
  • Patent number: 5138153
    Abstract: A sensor system comprises a fibe optic cable, or a fiber optic cable covered with a cladding, coated with a membrane that is sensitive to a particular substance to be detected. Contact with the material to be detected causes the membrane's index of refraction (normally less than that of the fiber core) to increase, decreasing the intensity of the light transmitted by the core. The fiber-optic sensor can be used to monitor one or more storage tanks for leakage by placing the fiber cable beneath the surface surrounding the tank(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Gergely, F. Monte Evens
  • Patent number: 5136151
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus of the invention is designed to read an image on a manuscript. The manuscript may be located under or above the image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus comprises a casing, a reading mechanism situated inside the casing, an actuating mechanism situated inside the casing for moving the reading mechanism, and a circuit mechanism for controlling the reading mechanism and the actuating mechanism. The casing has a reading window formed inside an upper or bottom portion of the casing. An image to be read is placed adjacent to the reading window, and the reading mechanism reads the image through the reading window. The circuit mechanism is provided with at least one circuit plate, which is located at one side of the casing above or below a moving area of the reading mechanism. Accordingly, the size of the image reading apparatus is minimized. A grip is integrally formed with the casing, and the circuit plate is retained inside the grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5134303
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus and a method for measuring the radius of curvature of a surface using laser beams of multiple wavelengths are provided. The present invention avoids poor measurement due to destructive interference of the beams reflected at a thin film's upper and lower surfaces. The present invention is applicable to laser reflection stress measurement apparatuses of both scanning and beam-splitting types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: Flexus, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilan A. Blech, Dov E. Hirsch
  • Patent number: 5134283
    Abstract: An optical position detection apparatus, above all, an optical position detection apparatus for detecting the tilting state, such as rolling and pitching of an object, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a light emitting element mounted on a movable member of the object, a condenser lens secured to a lower end of the movable member and a photosensor device provided below the condenser lens for detecting the light radiated by the light emitting element and condensed by the condenser lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: Tamagawa Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuo Shiozawa
  • Patent number: 5134273
    Abstract: A pulsed light source comprising a laser for emitting light in pulse form in response to an electric power from a power supply which is changeable in accordance with a control signal from an external circuit and a photodetector responsive to the light from the laser so as to produce an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of the reception light. The output signal of the photodetector is supplied to a comparator so as to compare the electric signal therefrom with a reference signal to output a signal proportional to the difference between the electric signal and the reference signal. In response to the output signal of the comparator, a control circuit produces the control signal to be supplied to the power supply by adding the output signal of the comparator to a predetermined signal to control the electric power outputted from the power supply to the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Wani, Mutsumi Mimasu, Tadaaki Miki, Yasuhiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 5132531
    Abstract: An optoelectronic position-sensitive detector (PSD) is disposed within a protective housing. An operator is movably mounted to the housing to be mechanically displaced by an object whose position is being sensed. A light projector within the housing is moved in response to operator movement to move a narrow light beam along a surface of the PSD corresponding to the position of the operator. A control system receives signals from the two output terminals of the PSD, compares and processes the same and produces a single analog signal indicative of the position of the object. The operator may be axially reciprocally movable or rotatable, and may have direct or indirect coupling with the light projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene F. Duncan, Gregory L. Nadolski
  • Patent number: 5130531
    Abstract: In a reflective photosensor in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are disposed in a mold resin, a planar optical element (micro Fresnel lens) including a first lens section for projecting a light emitted from the light emitting element toward a sense object in an external space and a second lens section for introducing a reflection light reflected from the sense object to the light receiving element is arranged in the mold resin. Favorably, the light emitting element is a light emitting diode of an edge emitting type and is set in a posture in which the element lies on its side. A reflection mirror is disposed in the model resin to introduce a light emitted from the light emitting diode to the first lens section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ito, Koichi Imanaka, Hiroshi Sekii, Shiro Ogata, Hiroshi Goto
  • Patent number: 5130556
    Abstract: An optoelectronic position-sensitive detector (PSD) is used with a light emitting diode (LED) in a through-beam photoelectric sensor application to detect the lateral position of an edge of an article or the lateral position or size variation of a thin object such as a small diameter fiber. The LED is offset toward one end of the PSD to establish a higher output signal at one end of the PSD than at an opposite end, thereby maintaining a positive output signal for the sensor. The LED and the PSD are potted with clear epoxy within holes in aluminum housing plates to provide RFI and EMI shielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene F. Duncan, Gregory L. Nadolski
  • Patent number: 5130524
    Abstract: In an apparatus for adjusting the intensity of a light beam, a driving current which is gradually increased is supplied to a semiconductor laser in a warming-up mode. The intensity of the light beam is detected by a monitor detector and compared with a predetermined value. The comparison result is latched in a first latch circuit and a preset drive data is determined in accordance with the latched comparison data and stored in a memory. The semiconductor laser is driven in a printing mode, in accordance with the preset drive data stored in the memory mode so that a printing condition can be established in a relatively short time. In the printing mode, the intensity of the light beam is adjusted in accordance with the comparison result obtained in the printing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Jiro Egawa, Naoaki Ide
  • Patent number: 5128529
    Abstract: An auto-focusing device includes a light emitting element for emitting an optical beam to be projected upon an object, an image position detecting element for receiving the optical beam reflected from the object for outputting an image position signal, and range computing circuitry for receiving the image position signal and computing therefrom the range to the object and outputting a corresponding range signal. First and second level deciding circuits decide whether or not the computed data based on the image position signal is at a level validating the computation of the range signal. The level deciding circuits output a remotest or nearer-than-remotest signal dependent upon the computed image position signal if the computed data from the image position signal is not validated. A lens position setting device sets a lens position from either the range signal, the remotest signal or the nearer-than-remotest signal in accordance with the decisions of the first and second level deciding circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Seikosha Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nagaoka, Koji Sato, Michio Kawai
  • Patent number: 5128531
    Abstract: A optical profile reader, particularly for key duplicating machines, incorporationg a photoemitter (16) positioned on one side of the profile (11) to be read, and a photodetector (21) facing the photoemitter (16), but on the opposite side of the profile to be read. Stepper motors (5, 8) are included for causing the profile (11) to be read to move orthogonal to the direction of a light beam striking the profile to be read. An electronic circuit controlled by the output signal of the photodetector (21) is also provided. The electronic circuit uses a threshold discriminator (25) set at a value between the values corresponding to the maximum and minimum illumination states of the photodector (21). The threshold discrimination circuit (25) also controls the operation of the stepper motors (5, 8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Inventor: Paolo Fadel
  • Patent number: 5126560
    Abstract: A graduation carrier of plastics material with a graduation structure, particularly for a photoelectric position measuring device. The graduation structure is a specially prefabricated lamina which is integrated with the graduation carrier with positive engagement. The free surface of the graduation structure and the free surface of the graduation carrier are located in a plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz Kraus
  • Patent number: 5126554
    Abstract: An imaging device for processing an optical image in the visible and/or infra-red wavelength bands. An optical image receiving area is divided into four segments and each segment is associated with an optical sensing means in the form of a semiconductor chip comprising a plurality of pixels. Each segment also includes a reflection means for reflecting the particular optical image to the associated optical sensing means. The reflecting means preferably takes the form of a reflecting surface within a cube comprising two prisms. The reflecting surface may be fully reflecting dichroic or holographic. A further optical sensing means in the form of a semiconductor chip is employed to the rear of the image receiving areas and is positioned to sense for small separate segments of the four guarter segments in the center of the overall optical image. All the separate received optical images are processed electronically to produce a composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Pilkington P.E. Limited
    Inventor: John H. L. Ranson
  • Patent number: 5126562
    Abstract: An encoder includes a first polarizing beam splitter for splitting a beam into first and second beams, and a first .lambda./4 plate arranged in respective first and second optical paths. A first optical device causes the beams to be incident on a diffraction grating so that positive first and negative second mode diffracted beams travel along the first and second optical paths, respectively, and superposes the diffracted beams on each other. A second polarizing beam splitter splits the diffracted beams from each other, and a second .lambda./4 plate is arranged in third and fourth optical paths for the diffracted beams, respectively. A second optical device causes the diffracted beams to be incident on the diffraction grating so that positive and negative first mode rediffracted beams travel along the third and fourth optical paths, respectively, and superposes the rediffracted beams on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koh Ishizuka, Tetsuharu Nishimura
  • Patent number: 5120977
    Abstract: Disclosed are Power Encoder means for imprinting MICR characters on checks, with optical check-sensing means disposed along a check-transport path, including optical skew-sensor means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation (Formerly Burroughs Corp.)
    Inventors: Thomas Dragon, John Hylan, Robert Reynolds, Paul Merchant, Kenneth Berkoben
  • Patent number: 5118922
    Abstract: The present invention is a process and apparatus for determining the position and diameter of the focal point of a laser beam, specifically for use in material processing with a heavy-duty laser beam. In a process for determining the position and diameter of the focal point of a laser beam, specifically a heavy-duty laser beam, a rotationally symmetric reflector which reproduces a laser beam on a focal line is introduced in the path of rays of a focused laser beam. Reflected on the reflector, the laser beam is captured by way of at least one sensor which is fixedly coordinated with the reflector in the focal line, while the focal plane, the lateral position of the focal point and the diameter of the focal point are then determined by way of measured values captured in the sensor, with the sensor being shifted relative to the focusing optics of the laser beam or relative to the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Dorries Scharmann GmbH
    Inventor: Rudiger Rothe
  • Patent number: 5118958
    Abstract: A bobbin discharge apparatus having a device for detecting a remaining yarn of a bobbin. A non-contact type sensor such as a photo sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the remaining yarn on a bobbin is arranged on a carrier passage of bobbins, and the bobbin and the sensor are provided relatively movably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Noshi, Norio Kubota, Hiroshi Uchida, Yasunobu Tanigawa
  • Patent number: 5118954
    Abstract: Method and device for the geometric characterization of transparent tubes. According to the invention, in order to characterize a transparent tube whose internal and external walls are approximately cylindrical and coaxial, the tube is placed in the air and scanned by an incident luminous beam moved parallel to it within a section plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube. Beams (F0, F1, F2, F3, F4) not deflected by the tube are detected. The detected beams, except for one which passes through the axis of the tube form two pairs. The distance between the two beams of each of these two pairs is determined, and, with the aid of these distances, the internal and external diameters of the tube at the level of the cutting plane are determined. Application for the geometric characterization of tubes for preforms for optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: French State Represented by the Minister of Post, Telecommunications and Space
    Inventor: Philippe Grosso