Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Schaefer
Thomas A. Schaefer 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: 12116205Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2023Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Symbotic LLCInventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Publication number: 20230391551Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Forrest BUZAN, Edward A. MACDONALD, Taylor A. APGAR, Thomas A. SCHAEFER, Melanie ZIEGLER, Russell G. BARBOUR
-
Patent number: 11718475Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2021Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Symbotic LLCInventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. Macdonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Publication number: 20210284445Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2021Publication date: September 16, 2021Inventors: Forrest BUZAN, Edward A. MACDONALD, Taylor A. APGAR, Thomas A. SCHAEFER, Melanie ZIEGLER, Russell G. BARBOUR
-
Patent number: 11001444Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2019Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Symbotic LLCInventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Publication number: 20190193938Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Patent number: 10221013Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2017Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Patent number: 9884726Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Publication number: 20170253430Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2017Publication date: September 7, 2017Inventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Patent number: 9656803Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Publication number: 20150203296Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2014Publication date: July 23, 2015Applicant: Symbotic, LLCInventors: Forrest Buzan, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Thomas A. Schaefer, Melanie Ziegler, Russell G. Barbour
-
Publication number: 20140199138Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: July 17, 2014Applicant: Brooks Automation, Inc.Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Patent number: 8672605Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2008Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Patent number: 8500388Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2008Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Patent number: 8197177Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2008Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Publication number: 20080232948Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2008Publication date: September 25, 2008Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Publication number: 20080232947Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2008Publication date: September 25, 2008Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Publication number: 20080187417Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2008Publication date: August 7, 2008Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Publication number: 20080187418Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2008Publication date: August 7, 2008Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
-
Patent number: 7109499Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring a profile of an ion beam. The apparatus includes an array of beam current sensors, each producing a sensor signal in response to incident ions of the ion beam, a translation mechanism configured to translate the array of beam current sensors along a translation path with respect to the ion beam, and a controller configured to acquire the sensor signals produced by the beam current sensors at a plurality of positions along the translation path, wherein the acquired sensor signals are representative of a two-dimensional profile of the ion beam.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2004Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Gordon C. Angel, Edward D. MacIntosh, Thomas A. Schaefer