Patents by Inventor Michael Ray

Michael Ray 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: 5993048
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for use by an individual customer to obtain a personalized greeting card of high quality, the system comprising: card type selection means for permitting an individual customer to obtain a completed personalized card from one of a plurality of blank cards having a preprinted design on at least a portion thereof and arranged proximate to the customer, design selection means for selection by an individual customer and from a plurality of available designs of a design to be provided on the completed personalized card, the plurality of available designs corresponding, at least in part, to the plurality of preprinted designs on the blank cards, message selection means for use by the individual customer to select particular printing material to be provided on the completed card, and card completion means, and control means for controlling the card completion means from the card type, design and message selection means for supply by the card completion means of a completed greeting card having
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Hallmark Cards, Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Benton Banks, Michael Lynn Vandemark, Wallace Allan Yeskie, David Allen Mullin, Michael Ray Schupp
  • Patent number: 5953814
    Abstract: A process and combination of materials for underfilling a surface-mount IC device (12), such as a flip chip, for the purpose of increasing the thermal cycle fatigue life of the terminals (14) that attach the device (12) to a thin-laminate organic circuit board (10), such as a printed wiring board (PWB) or printed circuit board (PCB). The process parameters and materials, including the underfill (20), masking (22) and cleaning materials used, exhibit a synergistic effect that increases thermal cycle fatigue resistance to a level at which a flip chip processed in accordance with this invention is capable of reliably withstanding at least 1000 one-hour cycles between -40.degree. C. and 150.degree. C. The materials and the manner in which the device (12) and circuit board (10) are prepared for application of the materials are critical to eliminating tendencies for inconsistent reliability in underfilled SM devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Wayne Anthony Sozansky, Michael D. Gibson, Susan Acheson Mack, Michael Patrick Meehan, Darrel Eugene Peugh, James M. Rosson, Robin L. Sellers, Michael Ray Witty
  • Patent number: 5926974
    Abstract: Footwear intended primarily for outdoor use, wherein a variety of ground conditions are likely to be encountered, has a sole with traction elements inspired by the hoof of a mountain goat. In several embodiments, an interior region of the sole is provided with a plurality of pairs of relatively soft protruding pods, while a perimetric region surrounding the interior region includes a plurality of relatively hard lugs provided on opposite sides of the pod pairs. The pods extend downwardly below the lugs such that they will make initial ground contact and compress. The compression cushions initial impact and increases the area of ground contact to improve traction on firm smooth surfaces. The compression also brings the lugs into ground engagement, following initial contact, to improve stability and traction on irregular and soft ground surfaces. Other embodiments of the invention implement similar principles, in soles having a more conventional (less goat hoof-like) appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Ray Friton
  • Patent number: 5924482
    Abstract: A multi-mode, two-phase cooling module (10) comprises a first housing portion (20), a second housing portion (30), and a third housing portion (40). Cooling liquid (22) is held in first housing portion (20), and one or more electronic components (24) are mounted onto an external surface of first housing portion (20) for being pool cooled. The second housing portion (30) has one or more spray nozzles (32) secured to one of the internal surfaces, and one or more electronic components (34) mounted onto one of the external surfaces in a position opposite spray nozzles (32). The third housing portion (40) has one or more condensers (42) on the internal surfaces, and one or more heat sinks (44) on the external surfaces. One or more electric fans (46), piezo-electronic fans, or spray nozzles (48) may be provided adjacent to internal surfaces of the condensers (42). The cooling module (10) is made of a thermally conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ray Edwards, Garron Koch Morris, Kurt Arthur Estes, Martin Pais
  • Patent number: 5808806
    Abstract: An optical device having a variable index of refraction across its surface includes a light transmissive material with a plurality of regions in the light transmissive material. Each region has an index of refraction which is different from the remainder of the material. The regions may be arranged in the surface of the material such that the density of the regions on the surface varies across the surface. Each region may be a bore, including a hole that extends through the light transmissive material. Variations in the density of the regions or bores as well as the depth and shape of the bores may be utilized to create variations of the refractive index within the light transmissive material. The regions form a refractive lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn F. Guhman, Michael Ray, Theodore R. Touw
  • Patent number: 5808350
    Abstract: An imaging device (10) has a plurality of unit cells that contribute to forming an image of a scene. The imaging device includes a layer of semiconductor material (16), for example silicon, that has low noise photogate charge-mode readout circuitry (20, 21, 26, 28) (e.g., CCD or CMOS readout circuitry and structures) that is disposed upon a first surface (18) of the layer. A second, opposing surface of the layer is a radiation admitting surface of the layer. The layer has a bandgap selected for absorbing electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths shorter than about one micrometer and for generating charge carriers from the absorbed radiation. The generated charge carriers are collected by the photogate charge-mode readout circuitry. A thermal sensing element (22) is disposed above and is thermally isolated from the first surface of the layer. The thermal sensing element may be, by example, one of a bolometer element, a pyroelectric element, or a thermopile element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Michael D. Jack, Michael Ray, Richard H. Wyles
  • Patent number: 5791012
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a safety cage for high suction industrial vacuums. The cage is fabricated from an open perimeter structure having an open end and intake end. Proximate the intake end there is an end guard which serves to prevent large objects from being sucked into the opened end of the cage. Flanges are provided at the open end to engage the intake of the hose. The perimeter structure is created from the cage rings and cage supports which form a rigid perimeter structure which keeps the hose from collapsing. A end guard is provided on the side of the perimeter structure to allow easy manipulation of the cage. Holes in the perimeter structure provide for receiving set screws which engage the side wall of the vacuum hose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Inventor: Michael Ray Carver, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5776567
    Abstract: A flexible, multi-layer filter for separating solid and liquid wastes. In a preferred embodiment, the filter includes first, second, third, and fourth layers, interconnected by appropriately spaced connectors. The first layer comprises sub-layers of parallel strands, wherein the strands in one sub-layer cross and overlap the strands in the other sub-layer to form a netting. The second layer comprises a fibrous mat, and the third layer comprises a netting like that of the first layer. The fourth layer includes a porous filter cloth. The third layer may be cut to form end and side tabs for retaining the filter inside a conventional waste container. After a semi-solid mixture of waste is poured, dumped, or otherwise placed into the waste container, liquid waste passes through the filter layers under the force of gravity. The liquid waste is channelled through the first layer along the bottom of the waste container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Pactec, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ray Schilling, Morris Fred Mintz
  • Patent number: 5758284
    Abstract: Utilizing a bridged line appearance feature in a switching system to allow additional individual PCS systems to be added as the number of wireless sets increases. For each wireless set, a bridged line appearance is administered in the switching system having a group of shared line appearance telephone links where the number of telephone links in each group is equal to the number of individual PCS systems. When the switching system receives a call for a particular wireless set, the switching system signals the incoming call on each telephone link that is part of the shared line appearance group for that particular wireless set. The PCS system on which the particular wireless set is presently registered responds to the incoming call signal by establishing a call between the particular wireless set and the incoming call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: David Lee Chavez, Jr., Michael Ray Ross
  • Patent number: 5758285
    Abstract: Assigning one telephone link to each wireless set and connecting each of the assigned telephone links to all of a plurality of PCS systems. Each of the PCS systems has a plurality of base stations on which wireless sets can register. When an incoming call is received for a wireless set by a switching system terminating the telephone links, the switching system transmits a new call message on the telephone link assigned to the wireless set. The PCS system on which the wireless set is registered responds to the new call message by establishing a connection from the wireless set to the telephone link. The other PCS systems monitor the state of the call so that if the wireless set physically moves to a base station connected to a new PCS system, the new PCS system can continue the call without interruption or the switching system having to perform any additional operations. Also, the PCS systems can be relatively small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: David Lee Chavez, Jr., Michael Ray Ross
  • Patent number: 5753375
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a substrate device and a dark mirror coating overlying one side of the substrate device. The dark mirror coating has a via therethrough to the substrate device. The dark mirror coating has a plurality of alternating layers of dielectrics and metals. Each metallic layer has an electrically nonconducting region adjacent to the vias, preferably formed by anodizing the metallic layers after deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Santa Barbara Research Center
    Inventor: Michael Ray
  • Patent number: 5751011
    Abstract: A system for accurately determining the relative location of countersinks formed in a predetermined pattern in a spinnerette blank, accurately positioning a punching tool, in turn, over each countersink and, in turn, punching accurately positioned holes in the spinnerette blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Michael Ray McLaughlin, Timothy Martin Pinto, Ernest Edward Jessee, Leland Manfred Savage, Vijay Somabhai Patel
  • Patent number: 5733079
    Abstract: A numerically controlled milling machine is used to mill the surface of a coined spinnerette after punching and before broaching the holes in the spinnerette. A probe is mounted on the milling machine to obtain data points on the bumpy surface of the coined spinnerette. The low points in predetermined areas off of the protuberances on the bumpy surface of the coined spinnerette are detected. Splines connecting the low points in, e.g., concentric rings if the holes in the finished spinnerette will be in rings, are used to generate a representation of the finished surface. A spiral tool path is obtained using the representation of the finished surface and G-codes are generated to control the milling machine to move a tool along the tool path. After the coined spinnerette has been milled, conventional finishing, including broaching is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Ernest Edward Jessee, Michael Ray McLaughlin, Timothy Martin Pinto, James Emmett Grant, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5701008
    Abstract: An infrared (IR) microlens array has a plurality of microlenses (12) aligned with respective IR detector array pixels (6) to focus incoming IR radiation onto the pixels (6) to improve the efficiency of IR detection, and a gas molecule getter grating (14) inside a vacuum-sealed Dewar assembly that houses the detector array (4) increases the surface area of the getter (15) to improve the efficiency of removing residual gas molecules from the Dewar assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: HE Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ray, Adam M. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 5652346
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a dicarboxylic acid oxidation product of a immunologically reactive mono- or a polysaccharide having vicinal diols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Clinical Diagnostics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ray Detty, Susan Jean Danielson
  • Patent number: 5640295
    Abstract: The present invention provides an interior panel assembly for a load center having a plurality of adjacent components for distributing electrical service to branch circuits. The panel assembly includes at least one bus bar formed with branch stabs for electrically connecting to terminals extending from a plurality of circuit interrupters and a generally planar support base having a front face for securing each bus bar. One end of each bus bar is adapted for electrical and mechanical connection to one of the adjacent components. The panel assembly aligns the interior panel assembly relative to an adjacent component and relative to an enclosure for the load center so that the adjacent component connects electrical service to each bus bar and the interior panel assembly secures within the enclosure. Preferably, at least one pair of flanges is integrally formed along the circumference of the support base. The pair of flanges are positioned along opposing ends of the support base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Square D Company
    Inventors: Michael Ray Harris, Norman Michael Newsome, Randall Lee Blue
  • Patent number: 5585968
    Abstract: An optical device having a variable index of refraction across its surface includes a light transmissive material with a plurality of regions in the light transmissive material. Each region has an index of refraction which is different from the remainder of the material. The regions may be arranged in the surface of the material such that the density of the regions on the surface varies across the surface. Each region may be a bore, including a hole that extends through the light transmissive material. Variations in the density of the regions or bores as well as the depth and shape of the bores may be utilized to create variations of the refractive index within the light transmissive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn F. Guhman, Michael Ray, Theodore R. Touw
  • Patent number: 5581084
    Abstract: An array of dual-band HgCdTe radiation detectors (10) wherein individual detectors include a first layer (14) having a first type of electrical conductivity and a bandgap selected for absorbing radiation within a first spectral band. The radiation detectors also each include a second layer (16) overlying the first layer. The second layer has a second type of electrical conductivity that is opposite the first type of electrical conductivity. Each radiation detector further includes a third layer (18) overlying the second layer, the third layer having the first type of electrical conductivity and a bandgap selected for absorbing radiation within a second spectral band. The first and second spectral bands are selected from SWIR, MWIR, LWIR, and VLWIR. The first, second and third layers are contained within at least one mesa structure (10a, 10b) that supports on a top surface thereof a first electrical contact (24) to the first layer and a second electrical contact (28) to the third layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Santa Barbara Research Center
    Inventors: George R. Chapman, Bonnie A. Baumgratz, Michael Ray
  • Patent number: 5567975
    Abstract: A photovoltaic diode unit cell (10) includes a first layer (14) having a first type of electrical conductivity and a second layer (16) of Group II-VI material having a second type of electrical conductivity that differs from the first type. The first layer and the second layer are coupled together so as to form a photovoltaic junction (15) therebetween. The photovoltaic junction is coupled via electrical interconnects (18, 20, 22) to a readout 24 and collects first charge carriers resulting from an absorption of IR radiation within the layer 14. The junction also collects second charge carriers resulting from the absorption of visible light in a region of highly graded crystal potential formed, in a Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE)-grown embodiment of this invention, at an interface of a substrate and the first layer. The substrate is subsequently removed, preferably by a mechanical operation followed by a wet chemical etch, to expose the region of highly graded crystal potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Santa Barbara Research Center
    Inventors: Devin T. Walsh, Michael Ray
  • Patent number: D380558
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Inventor: Michael Ray Clavin