Patents by Inventor Michael P. Keyes

Michael P. Keyes 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: 6030547
    Abstract: Fluorine-containing, chiral liquid crystal compounds comprise (a) a chiral fluorochemical terminal portion comprising (i) at least one chiral center, which can optionally be heteroatom-substituted; (ii) a terminal fluoroalkyl, fluoroether, perfluoroalkyl, or perfluoroether group; and (iii) an alkylene or fluoroalkylene group optionally containing at least one caternary ether oxygen atom; (b) a chiral or achiral terminal portion consisting of a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon ether group, and, when chiral, comprising at least one chiral center, which can optionally be heteroatom-substituted; and (c) a central core connecting the terminal portions; the alkylene or fluoroalkylene group of the chiral fluorochemical terminal portion having at least 3 in-chain atoms and being located between the chiral center of the chiral fluorochemical terminal portion and the central core. The compounds have smectic mesophases or latent smectic mesophases and are useful, for example, in liquid crystal display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Masakazu Hasegawa, Michael P. Keyes, Marc D. Radcliffe, Patricia M. Savu, Daniel C. Snustad, Terence D. Spawn
  • Patent number: 5845017
    Abstract: A method of digital image processing for degraining (smoothing) of images based on selected averaging of pixels in a neighborhood of pixels surrounding a target pixel to be recalculated. Improvement in the application of the selected average method to images of higher graininess such as might be obtained from higher speed films is achieved by weighting the difference in code values between each neighborhood pixel and the target pixel in accordance with a function that is related to physical distance between the neighborhood pixel and the target pixel. After all target pixels are recalculated using a selected fraction of pixel elements based on their distance weighted difference values, the process is iterated for each target pixel "n" number of times to achieve a desired relative code value of the target pixel to surrounding background pixel code values whereupon a final unweighted averaging operation is performed to achieve the final recalculated value of the target pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Michael P. Keyes
  • Patent number: 5534445
    Abstract: A process for producing a polysilicon thin film transistor includes hydrogenating the thin film transistor and depositing an atomic hydrogen-containing layer on the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor is characterized by leakage current rates as low as 10.sup.-13 A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, Michael P. Keyes
  • Patent number: 5417883
    Abstract: A process for controlling layer spacing in mixtures of smectic liquid crystal compounds comprises the step of combining a liquid crystal composition having a net negative thermal layer expansion in at least one tilted (or latent tilted) smectic mesophase and a liquid crystal composition having a net positive thermal layer expansion in at least one tilted (or latent tilted) smectic mesophase, each of the compositions comprising at least one smectic or latent smectic liquid crystal compound. The process enables control of layer spacing in the tilted smectic mesophase(s) and thereby control or suppression of chevron layer geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Epstein, Michael P. Keyes, Marc D. Radcliffe, Daniel C. Snustad
  • Patent number: 5236820
    Abstract: A photographic element is described which has improved image color due to inclusion of titanium complexes of the formula: ##STR1## wherein the substituents have specific definitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Patricia A. Depra, Kathleen D. Moguel, Michael P. Keyes