Patents by Inventor Thomas Riechers

Thomas Riechers 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).

  • Publication number: 20070175282
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe for examining an item. The probe includes a body having a contact surface adapted for contacting the item when being examined and an ultrasonic transducer attached to the body and spaced from the contact surface. The probe further includes a spacer positioned in the body between the transducer and the contact surface for spacing the transducer from the item when being examined. The spacer includes a coupling surface facing the item when being examined and a transducer surface facing the transducer. The probe also includes a fluid outlet positioned adjacent the coupling surface of the spacer for delivering coupling fluid to the coupling surface as a film so that the coupling fluid tends to maintain contact with the spacer due to surface tension after the fluid is delivered through the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Barry Fetzer, James Kennedy, Thomas Riechers
  • Publication number: 20050152615
    Abstract: Methodologies and systems to compare images with different levels of contrast are provided. Contrast is normalized between the images with different contrast levels and brightness is set. When normalizing contrast a derivative of gray level is determined for a first digital image having a first contrast level, and a derivative of gray level is determined for a second digital image having a second contrast level that is greater than the first contrast level. A ratio of the derivative of gray level for the first digital image to the derivative of gray level for the second digital image is determined, and the derivative of gray level for the first digital image is equalized with the derivative of gray level for the second digital image. Brightness of at least one image may be set automatically, such as by calculating an average pixel value excluding background and text, or manually.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Hutchinson, Michael Horky, Mark Lee, William Meade, James Kennedy, Thomas Riechers, Michael Duncan