Patents by Inventor Eric A. Martens

Eric A. Martens 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).

  • Communications interface for assembly-line monitoring and control
    Patent number: 6618629
    Abstract: A circuit-board-processing line (10) employing various circuit-board-processing machines (12, 14, 16, 18, 62, 64, and 66) includes SMEMA-device emulators (22 and 68) interposed in the SMEMA channels between successive board-processing machines. Coordination circuitry (24) receives from those emulators reports of the signals that they observe, and it controls various line machinery and other emulators in response. It similarly controls the emulators in response to information that it receives from various board-processing machines. In this way, the system is able to provide reporting and control features that the board-processing machines do not provide inherently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric A. Martens, Peter P. Neihardt, Michael W. Hamblin
  • COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE FOR ASSEMBLY-LINE MONITORING AND CONTROL
    Publication number: 20030135296
    Abstract: A circuit-board-processing line (10) employing various circuit-board-processing machines (12, 14, 16, 18, 62, 64, and 66) includes SMEMA-device emulators (22 and 68) interposed in the SMEMA channels between successive board-processing machines. Coordination circuitry (24) receives from those emulators reports of the signals that they observe, and it controls various line machinery and other emulators in response. It similarly controls the emulators in response to information that it receives from various board-processing machines. In this way, the system is able to provide reporting and control features that the board-processing machines do not provide inherently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: Eric A. Martens, Peter P. Neidhardt, Michael W. Hamblin