Patents by Inventor Rick A. Williams

Rick A. Williams 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: 9033504
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, Rick A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8649611
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, Rick A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8363958
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, Rick A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20120128222
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, Rick A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8050504
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeis Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, Rick A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20110043757
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, RicK A. Williams
  • Patent number: 7805009
    Abstract: A line scan imager is used to determine the motion of a subject. Each line of image data from the line scan imager is compared with a reference image. The location of a matching line in the reference image reveals the displacement of the subject. The current subject displacement can be determined based on each line of image data. The resulting displacement information can be used to correctly place other optical beams on the subject. The method can be applied to tracking the human eye to facilitate measurement, imaging, or treatment with a beam of optical radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Everett, Claus Flachenecker, Martin Hacker, Scott A. Meyer, Keith E. O'Hara, Rick A. Williams
  • Patent number: 5691815
    Abstract: A laser inspection tool system (100) includes a hand-held remote tool head (108) that provides an image of a target object (116) and a measurement surface (118). The remote tool head (108) includes light sources (208) and mirrors (210) that in conjunction generate two perpendicular lines of light that impinge the target object (116) and the measurement surface (118) and reflect to a form an image in a camera (218) in the remote tool head (108). The remote tool head (108) may be oriented at any angle relative to the measurement surface (118). A processor (102) remotely coupled to the remote tool head (108) captures the image and determines the offset between the light reflected by the target object (116) and the light reflected by the measurement surface (118), and the angle between the reflected lines of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams, Scott E. Reinhart
  • Patent number: 5680215
    Abstract: An optical vision inspection system (4) and method for multiplexed illuminating, viewing, analyzing and recording a range of characteristically different kinds of defects, depressions, and ridges in a selected material surface (7) with first and second alternating optical subsystems (20, 21) illuminating and sensing successive frames of the same material surface patch. To detect the different kinds of surface features including abrupt as well as gradual surface variations, correspondingly different kinds of lighting are applied in time-multiplexed fashion to the common surface area patches under observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams
  • Patent number: 5612786
    Abstract: A method for measuring the contours (30) of a three-dimensional object (4); and a method for calibrating an optical system (2, 8). The object (4) is placed into the field of view of the optical system (2, 8). The optical system (2, 8) is activated to obtain a set of data giving a phase (x.sub.t) at each of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the object (4). The phases (x.sub.t) are unwrapped, e.g., by a method of ordered phase unwrapping. The unwrapped phases are converted into a set of three-dimensional coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) of the object (4) for each of the pixels. These coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) can be portrayed on a display of a computer (10). The method for calibrating the optical system (2, 8) shares several common steps with the above method. In addition, coordinates of a test calibration fixture (38, 46) are first mechanically measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams, Dean M. Shough, Osuk Y. Kwon, Rebecca L. Welling
  • Patent number: 5561526
    Abstract: A measurement device or system (11) for determining features of a three-dimensional object (20) from two-dimensional images includes a projector (27) for projecting a pattern (73) upon the object (20), at least one imager (17, 19) for obtaining multiple sets of image data of the illuminated object (20) and a processor (47) for obtaining a three-dimensional image (81) of the object (20) from the multiple sets of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams
  • Patent number: 5557410
    Abstract: A method for measuring the contours (30) of a three-dimensional object (4); and a method for calibrating an optical system (2, 8). The object (4) is placed into the field of view of the optical system (2, 8). The optical system (2, 8) is activated to obtain a set of data giving a phase (x.sub.t) at each of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the object (4). The phases (x.sub.t) are unwrapped, e.g., by a method of ordered phase unwrapping. The unwrapped phases are converted into a set of three-dimensional coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) of the object (4) for each of the pixels. These coordinates (x.sub.s, y.sub.s, z.sub.s) can be portrayed on a display of a computer (10). The method for calibrating the optical system (2, 8) shares several common steps with the above method. In addition, coordinates of a test calibration fixture (38, 46) are first mechanically measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward D. Huber, Rick A. Williams, Dean M. Shough, Osuk Y. Kwon, Rebecca L. Welling
  • Patent number: 4937934
    Abstract: Movement of surface mount components during soldering onto TEFLON.TM. printed wiring boards is prevented by applying a strip of solder mask material to a solder pad to define a component lead area and applying solder to areas of the areas of the solder pad not covered by the solder mask strip. Solder paste is applied to the component bad area and the surface mount component is positioned with a lead in registry with the component lead area. The entire board is then heated to mechanically and electrically adhere the component lead to the pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Devera, Rick A. Williams, Jerome P. Mulka