Patents by Inventor Alana M. Whittier

Alana M. Whittier has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Edge illumination of an ion-exchanged glass sheet
    Patent number: 8789998
    Abstract: A planar ion-exchanged glass sheet for out-of-plane light beam coupling includes a first surface, a ion-exchanged first glass region adjacent and parallel to the first surface, a core glass region adjacent and parallel to the first glass region, a ion-exchanged second glass region adjacent and parallel to the core glass region, and a second surface adjacent and parallel to the second glass region. One edge of the glass sheet has an angled end face that is inclined to the plane extends across a thickness of at least one of the glass regions. Methods of making the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, coupling an out-of-plane light beam into a plane using the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, and scattering the coupled light to illuminate at least select regions of an exposed surface of the glass sheet are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Vitor M. Schneider, Alana M. Whittier
  • EDGE ILLUMINATION OF AN ION-EXCHANGED GLASS SHEET
    Publication number: 20130050992
    Abstract: A planar ion-exchanged glass sheet for out-of-plane light beam coupling includes a first surface, a ion-exchanged first glass region adjacent and parallel to the first surface, a core glass region adjacent and parallel to the first glass region, a ion-exchanged second glass region adjacent and parallel to the core glass region, and a second surface adjacent and parallel to the second glass region. One edge of the glass sheet has an angled end face that is inclined to the plane extends across a thickness of at least one of the glass regions. Methods of making the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, coupling an out-of-plane light beam into a plane using the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, and scattering the coupled light to illuminate at least select regions of an exposed surface of the glass sheet are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventors: Vitor M. Schneider, Alana M. Whittier