Abstract: The present invention includes an imaging apparatus having an imaging array, readout amplifier, and controller. The imaging array includes a plurality of pixels that accumulate charge when exposed to light. The readout amplifier receives charge from the pixels and generates a pixel signal indicative of the amount of charge received. The controller causes the charge from a plurality of the pixels to be added together to form a sum charge that is received by the readout amplifier. The imaging array can include a plurality of columns of pixels, and the controller causes the charge from a plurality of pixels in one of the columns to be added together to form a partial sum charge that is included in the sum charge. The readout amplifier can include a horizontal shift register, and the partial sum charge can be generated in the shift cells.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus and a method for synchronizing the velocity of an image of a moving object or target and the clocking of image sensor elements used to track the moving target.

Abstract: An imaging array having a CCD imaging array that includes a plurality of pixels that accumulate charge when exposed to light and a readout amplifier is disclosed. The readout amplifier includes an operational amplifier having an input and an output port and a feedback capacitor connecting the input and output ports and a variable impedance path between the input and output ports, the path having an impedance controlled by a reset signal. A reset signal generator generates the reset signal in three sequential phases in which the path between the input and output ports has three impedance values to provide a starting voltage at the amplifier input prior to the measurement of charge from each pixel that has reduced noise.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for synchronizing the velocity of an image of a moving object and the clocking of image sensor elements used to track the moving target. The imaging apparatus includes a two-dimensional array of image sensor elements being configured to sense a first set of image elements in a first direction according to a clock rate. A plurality of rows of image sensor elements are spaced from each other. The rows of image sensor elements are configured to sense a second set of image elements of the target moving in the first direction according to the clock rate. Each row has image sensor elements that are different in length from the image sensor elements of the other rows. A measurement module is coupled with the plurality of rows of image sensor elements to measure the sharpness of detected image elements and to identify the row of image sensor elements having the sharpest detected image elements.

Abstract: A two component, curable hot melt adhesive system includes a first hot melt adhesive formulation which has a softening temperature greater than room temperature and which includes a first component of a curable adhesive therein. The system includes a second hot melt adhesive formulation which has a softening temperature which is greater than room temperature and which includes a second component of a curable adhesive therein. The second component is reactive with the first component to provide a cured adhesive bond. In use, the two formulations are heated to a temperature above their softening temperature and are contacted so as to cause mixing. The mixture cools to provide a thermoplastic bond which subsequently cures to provide a permanent adhesive bond. While the first and the second component individually perform as hot melt adhesives, combining the first and the second gives enhanced adhesive performance in extended temperature ranges.

Abstract: Large area, fast frame rate, charge coupled devices (CCDs) are provided. Interline transfer CCDs can have interleaved pinned photodiodes and vertical shift registers. The interline transfer CCDs are ideal for producing high frame rate video images from a continuous light source. The photodiodes transfer charge indicative of the previous video frame to an adjacent vertical shift register with little or no lag, while light from the current video frame is integrating in the photodiodes. The charge signals only have to travel a short distance from a photodiode to an adjacent vertical shift register. The charge signals indicative of each video frame are then shifted out of the vertical shift registers. Each vertical shift register has a doping gradient that increases the charge transfer rate. All of these factors provide a fast and efficient video frame rate, even in a large area CCD.

Abstract: Large area, fast frame rate, charge coupled devices (CCDs) are provided. Interline transfer CCDs can have interleaved pinned photodiodes and vertical shift registers. The interline transfer CCDs are ideal for producing high frame rate video images from a continuous light source. The photodiodes transfer charge indicative of the previous video frame to an adjacent vertical shift register with little or no lag, while light from the current video frame is integrating in the photodiodes. The charge signals only have to travel a short distance from a photodiode to an adjacent vertical shift register. The charge signals indicative of each video frame are then shifted out of the vertical shift registers. Each vertical shift register has a doping gradient that increases the charge transfer rate. All of these factors provide a fast and efficient video frame rate, even in a large area CCD.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus and a method for synchronizing the velocity of an image of a moving object or target and the clocking of image sensor elements used to track the moving target. In one embodiment, an imaging apparatus comprises a two-dimensional array of image sensor elements being configured to sense a first set of image elements of a target moving in a first direction with respect to the two-dimensional array of image sensor elements, to integrate light from the set of image elements into corresponding pixel values, and to shift the pixel values along the image sensor elements in the first direction according to a clock rate. A plurality of rows of image sensor elements are spaced from each other and extend in the first direction.

Abstract: Large area, fast frame rate, charge coupled devices (CCDs) are provided. Interline transfer CCDs can have interleaved pinned photodiodes and vertical shift registers. The interline transfer CCDs are ideal for producing high frame rate video images from a continuous light source. The photodiodes transfer charge indicative of the previous video frame to an adjacent vertical shift register with little or no lag, while light from the current video frame is integrating in the photodiodes. The charge signals only have to travel a short distance from a photodiode to an adjacent vertical shift register. The charge signals indicative of each video frame are then shifted out of the vertical shift registers. Each vertical shift register has a doping gradient that increases the charge transfer rate. All of these factors provide a fast and efficient video frame rate, even in a large area CCD.

Abstract: Large area cameras that sense light using charge coupled devices are provided. The large area cameras have a scintillator that senses short wavelength (e.g. x-rays) radiation and provides light at a longer wavelength. Optical fibers transmit the light to charge coupled devices arranged in an M×N array. Subsets of the image signals can be summed together to increase signal strength and frame rate. The image signals can be amplified and digitized to accomplish image reconstruction in near-real time for a plurality of CCDs. To accomplish image reconstruction in near-real time for a plurality of CCDs, the digitized signals for one image frame are stored in first memory circuits, while image signals from another frame are read out of second memory circuits. The image signal are written into and read out of the memory circuits in configurations that are independent of the orientation of the CCDs within the CCD array.

Abstract: Large area, fast frame rate, charge coupled devices (CCDs) are provided. Interline transfer CCDs can have interleaved pinned photodiodes and vertical shift registers. The interline transfer CCDs are ideal for producing high frame rate video images from a continuous light source. The photodiodes transfer charge indicative of the previous video frame to an adjacent vertical shift register with little or no lag, while light from the current video frame is integrating in the photodiodes. The charge signals only have to travel a short distance from a photodiode to an adjacent vertical shift register. The charge signals indicative of each video frame are then shifted out of the vertical shift registers. Each vertical shift register has a doping gradient that increases the charge transfer rate. All of these factors provide a fast and efficient video frame rate, even in a large area CCD.

Abstract: A two component, curable hot melt adhesive system includes a first hot melt adhesive formulation which has a softening temperature greater than room temperature and which includes a first component of a curable adhesive therein. The system includes a second hot melt adhesive formulation which has a softening temperature which is greater than room temperature and which includes a second component of a curable adhesive therein. The second component is reactive with the first component to provide a cured adhesive bond. In use, the two formulations are heated to a temperature above their softening temperature and are contacted so as to cause mixing. The mixture cools to provide a thermoplastic bond which subsequently cures to provide a permanent adhesive bond. While the first and the second component individually perform as hot melt adhesives, combining the first and the second gives enhanced adhesive performance in extended temperature ranges.

Abstract: A radiation curable precursor coating composition for the preparation of a non-blocking, heat activatable adhesive includes a curable acrylic material, a curable elastomeric material, and a hydrocarbon tackifier material having a softening temperature ranging from approximately 50° C. to approximately 200° C., wherein when the acrylic material and the elastomeric material are cured, the coating composition is non-blocking at room temperature, but when the coating composition is heated to a temperature above both the softening temperature of the hydrocarbon tackifier and the Tg of the coating composition, the coating composition becomes adhesive.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a resorcinol-glutaraldehyde reaction product as an accelerator for thermosetting phenolic resin and to a method of making the accelerator. Further, the invention relates to a resin blend comprising phenol-formaldehyde and the accelerator and a process for making cellulosic board, oriented strandboard and plywood wherein the binder for the cellulosic board, oriented strandboard and plywood in its uncured form comprises the resin blend of the invention. In another embodiment the accelerator for thermosetting resin comprises resorcinol and glutaraldehyde.

Abstract: This invention relates to ethyleneurea-glutaraldehyde resins, urea-ethyleneurea-glutaraldehyde resins, their synthesis, as well as their application as an adhesive for wood panel manufacture. Molar ratio of ethyleneurea to glutaraldehyde can range from 0.3 to 3.5. Urea incorporated into ethyleneurea-glutaraldehyde resin can be high as two times the moles of glutaraldehyde used in the formulation and can be introduced at any stage during the reaction course, simply post added, or any combination of the above.