Patents by Inventor Brett Allard

Brett Allard 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).

  • Charge management of electrically isolated objects via modulated photoelectric charge transfer
    Patent number: 7751170
    Abstract: Charge transfer is provided to or from an electrically isolated test body by AC modulation of the photoelectric effect. More specifically, a reference body is disposed near the test body without physical contact between the reference and test bodies. Facing surfaces of the reference and test bodies are illuminated by optical radiation having a sufficiently short wavelength that charged particles are emitted from the reference and test bodies. An electrical bias is established between the reference body and the test body. Both the optical radiation and the electrical bias are modulated at the same frequency. A magnitude and direction of a charge transfer rate between the reference and test bodies is set by selecting a phase relation between the optical radiation and the electrical bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Ke-Xun Sun, Brett A. Allard, Robert L. Byer, Saps Buchman
  • Charge management of electrically isolated objects via modulated photoelectric charge transfer
    Publication number: 20080043397
    Abstract: Charge transfer is provided to or from an electrically isolated test body by AC modulation of the photoelectric effect. More specifically, a reference body is disposed near the test body without physical contact between the reference and test bodies. Facing surfaces of the reference and test bodies are illuminated by optical radiation having a sufficiently short wavelength that charged particles are emitted from the reference and test bodies. An electrical bias is established between the reference body and the test body. Both the optical radiation and the electrical bias are modulated at the same frequency. A magnitude and direction of a charge transfer rate between the reference and test bodies is set by selecting a phase relation between the optical radiation and the electrical bias.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Ke-Xun Sun, Brett Allard, Robert Byer, Saps Buchman