Patents by Inventor Gregory A. WACHTER

Gregory A. WACHTER 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).

  • Patent number: 9897707
    Abstract: A method for X-ray detection using a charge-integrating X-ray detector including a photodetector array of pixels, each of which converts incident radiation into accumulated charge during an X-ray exposure, is provided. The method includes, for each pixel, reading out the accumulated charge from the pixel and determining an X-ray charge value from the read out accumulated charge. If the X-ray charge value is less than a photon counting threshold, the X-ray charge value is replaced with a quantized charge value representative of an estimated photon count and recording the quantized charge value as a recorded charge value. If, however, the X-ray charge is equal to or greater than the photon counting threshold, the X-charge value is recorded as the recorded charge value. The method allows operating a charge-integrating X-ray detector in a mixed photon-counting/analog output mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Inventors: Roger D. Durst, Gregory A. Wachter, Tianqing He
  • Patent number: 9784698
    Abstract: In an X-ray detector operating in a rolling shutter read out mode, by precisely synchronizing sample rotation with the detector readout, the effects of timing skew on the image intensities and angular positions caused by the rolling shutter read out can be compensated by interpolation or calculation, thus allowing the data to be accurately integrated with conventional software. In one embodiment, the reflection intensities are interpolated with respect to time to recreate data that is synchronized to a predetermined time. This interpolated data can then be processed by any conventional integration routine to generate a 3D model of the sample. In another embodiment a 3D integration routine is specially adapted to allow the time-skewed data to be processed directly and generate a 3D model of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Inventors: Roger D. Durst, Joerg Kaercher, Gregory A. Wachter
  • Publication number: 20150369929
    Abstract: A method for X-ray detection using a charge-integrating X-ray detector including a photodetector array of pixels, each of which converts incident radiation into accumulated charge during an X-ray exposure, is provided. The method includes, for each pixel, reading out the accumulated charge from the pixel and determining an X-ray charge value from the read out accumulated charge. If the X-ray charge value is less than a photon counting threshold, the X-ray charge value is replaced with a quantized charge value representative of an estimated photon count and recording the quantized charge value as a recorded charge value. If, however, the X-ray charge is equal to or greater than the photon counting threshold, the X-charge value is recorded as the recorded charge value. The method allows operating a charge-integrating X-ray detector in a mixed photon-counting/analog output mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Roger D. DURST, Gregory A. WACHTER, Tianqing HE
  • Publication number: 20150046112
    Abstract: In an X-ray detector operating in a rolling shutter read out mode, by precisely synchronizing sample rotation with the detector readout, the effects of timing skew on the image intensities and angular positions caused by the rolling shutter read out can be compensated by interpolation or calculation, thus allowing the data to be accurately integrated with conventional software. In one embodiment, the reflection intensities are interpolated with respect to time to recreate data that is synchronized to a predetermined time. This interpolated data can then be processed by any conventional integration routine to generate a 3D model of the sample. In another embodiment a 3D integration routine is specially adapted to allow the time-skewed data to be processed directly and generate a 3D model of the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Roger D. DURST, Joerg KAERCHER, Gregory A. WACHTER
  • Patent number: 8903043
    Abstract: In an X-ray detector operating in a rolling shutter read out mode, by precisely synchronizing sample rotation with the detector readout, the effects of timing skew on the image intensities and angular positions caused by the rolling shutter read out can be compensated by interpolation or calculation, thus allowing the data to be accurately integrated with conventional software. In one embodiment, the reflection intensities are interpolated with respect to time to recreate data that is synchronized to a predetermined time. This interpolated data can then be processed by any conventional integration routine to generate a 3D model of the sample. In another embodiment a 3D integration routine is specially adapted to allow the time-skewed data to be processed directly and generate a 3D model of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Bruker AXS, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger D Durst, Joerg Kaercher, Gregory A Wachter, John L Chambers, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8680473
    Abstract: Readout noise for each pixel in a CMOS Active Pixel Sensor is reduced by a five step process in which the pixel charge data from the sensor is non-destructively sampled at a plurality of times during a sensor frame time period and corrected for gain variation and nonlinearity. Then fixed pattern and dark current noise is estimated and subtracted from the corrected pixel charge data. Next, reset noise is estimated and subtracted from the pixel charge data. In step four, a model function of charge versus time is fit to the corrected pixel charge data samples. Finally, the fitted model function is evaluated at frame boundary times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Bruker AXS, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger D Durst, Gregory A Wachter, Joerg Kaercher
  • Publication number: 20130108021
    Abstract: Readout noise for each pixel in a CMOS Active Pixel Sensor is reduced by a five step process in which the pixel charge data from the sensor is non-destructively sampled at a plurality of times during a sensor frame time period and corrected for gain variation and nonlinearity. Then fixed pattern and dark current noise is estimated and subtracted from the corrected pixel charge data. Next, reset noise is estimated and subtracted from the pixel charge data. In step four, a model function of charge versus time is fit to the corrected pixel charge data samples. Finally, the fitted model function is evaluated at frame boundary times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: BRUKER AXS, INC.
    Inventors: Roger D. DURST, Gregory A. WACHTER, Joerg KAERCHER
  • Publication number: 20130103339
    Abstract: In an X-ray detector operating in a rolling shutter read out mode, by precisely synchronizing sample rotation with the detector readout, the effects of timing skew on the image intensities and angular positions caused by the rolling shutter read out can be compensated by interpolation or calculation, thus allowing the data to be accurately integrated with conventional software. In one embodiment, the reflection intensities are interpolated with respect to time to recreate data that is synchronized to a predetermined time. This interpolated data can then be processed by any conventional integration routine to generate a 3D model of the sample. In another embodiment a 3D integration routine is specially adapted to allow the time-skewed data to be processed directly and generate a 3D model of the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: BRUKER AXS, INC.
    Inventors: Roger D. DURST, Joerg KAERCHER, Gregory A. WACHTER, John L CHAMBERS, JR.