Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Hale

Thomas C. Hale 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: 6643005
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for inspecting thin film specimens along a line. A laser emits pulses of light that are split into first, second, third and fourth portions. A delay is introduced into the first portion of pulses and the first portion of pulses is directed onto a thin film specimen along a line. The third portion of pulses is directed onto the thin film specimen along the line. A delay is introduced into the fourth portion of pulses and the delayed fourth portion of pulses are directed to a photorefractive crystal. Pulses of light reflected from the thin film specimen are directed to the photorefractive crystal. Light from the photorefractive crystal is collected and transmitted to a linear photodiode array allowing inspection of the thin film specimens along a line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hale, David S. Moore
  • Patent number: 6134006
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for characterizing a vibrating image of an object of interest. The method includes providing a sensing media having a detection resolution within a limited bandwidth and providing an object of interest having a vibrating medium. Two or more wavefronts are provided, with at least one of the wavefronts being modulated by interacting the one wavefront with the vibrating medium of the object of interest. The another wavefront is modulated such that the difference frequency between the one wavefront and the another wavefront is within a response range of the sensing media. The modulated one wavefront and another wavefront are combined in association with the sensing media to interfere and produce simultaneous vibration measurements that are distributed over the object so as to provide an image of the vibrating medium. The image has an output intensity that is substantially linear with small physical variations within the vibrating medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Becthel BWXT Idaho, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Telschow, Vance A. Deason, Thomas C. Hale
  • Patent number: 5827971
    Abstract: A vibration detection assembly is described which includes an emitter of light which has object and reference beams, the object beam reflected off of a vibrating object of interest; and a photorefractive substance having a given response time and which passes the reflected object beam and the reference beam, the reference beam and the object beam interfering within the photorefractive substance to create a space charge field which develops within the response time of the photorefractive substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hale, Kenneth L. Telschow