Patents by Inventor Alva E. Hare

Alva E. Hare 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).

  • Absolute encoder employing linked sub-encoders and beat track
    Patent number: 7368705
    Abstract: An absolute encoder employs multiple sub-encoders of different resolutions and a linking algorithm for combining the sub-encoder outputs to form an accurate, high-resolution position estimate. The sub-encoders can utilize edge modulation of a main grating track, sloped patterns of successively higher periods, and other types of scale patterns. The sub-encoders can also use a variety of detector types suitable for the patterns being used. In one linking approach, pairs of tracks are linked together successively by applying a phase shift to the coarser track and then combining it with the finer track such that the transitions of the coarse track estimates become aligned with those of the finer track, whereupon the values can be combined to form a linked position estimate. In another approach, beat tracks are calculated from physical tracks of similar period, and the beat tracks are used as the coarser tracks in the linking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: GSI Group Corporation
    Inventors: Alva E. Hare, William G. Thorburn, Keith M. Hinrichs
  • Precision material-handling robot employing high-resolution, compact absolute encoder
    Patent number: 7321113
    Abstract: An absolute encoder employs multiple sub-encoders of different resolutions and a linking algorithm for combining the sub-encoder outputs to form an accurate, high-resolution position estimate. The sub-encoders can utilize edge modulation of a main grating track, sloped patterns of successively higher periods, and other types of scale patterns. The sub-encoders can also use a variety of detector types suitable for the patterns being used. In one linking approach, pairs of tracks are linked together successively by applying a phase shift to the coarser track and then combining it with the finer track such that the transitions of the coarse track estimates become aligned with those of the finer track, whereupon the values can be combined to form a linked position estimate. In another approach, beat tracks are calculated from physical tracks of similar period, and the beat tracks are used as the coarser tracks in the linking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: GSI Group Corporation
    Inventors: Alva E. Hare, Keith M. Hinrichs, William G. Thorburn
  • Absolute encoder employing concatenated, multi-bit, interpolated sub-encoders
    Patent number: 7253395
    Abstract: An absolute encoder employs multiple sub-encoders of different resolutions and a linking algorithm for combining the sub-encoder outputs to form an accurate, high-resolution position estimate. The sub-encoders can utilize edge modulation of a main grating track, sloped patterns of successively higher periods, and other types of scale patterns. The sub-encoders can also use a variety of detector types suitable for the patterns being used. In one linking approach, pairs of tracks are linked together successively by applying a phase shift to the coarser track and then combining it with the finer track such that the transitions of the coarse track estimates become aligned with those of the finer track, whereupon the values can be combined to form a linked position estimate. In another approach, beat tracks are calculated from physical tracks of similar period, and the beat tracks are used as the coarser tracks in the linking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: GSI Group Corporation
    Inventors: Alva E. Hare, William G. Thorburn, Keith M. Hinrichs