Patents Issued in March 6, 2007
  • Patent number: 7187406
    Abstract: A still video camera or apparatus which eliminates possible erasure in error of a picture image to be maintained and wherein a picture image recorded in an internal memory can be reproduced readily. The camera comprises image pickup means, recording means for recording a picture image signal obtained by the image pickup means into a record medium which may be an internal memory or a removable IC card, manually operable means, protect signal recording means operable in response to an operation of the manually operable means for recording into the record medium a protect signal representative of inhibition of erasure of a picture image signal recorded in the record medium, and controlling means for inhibiting erasure of a picture image signal at a portion of the record medium corresponding to the thus recorded protect signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Taniguchi, Yoshihiro Tanaka, Dai Shintani, Katsuyuki Nanba
  • Patent number: 7187407
    Abstract: A control system for an image file eliminating saving of an overlapped image data part and saving files in a short time and in a power-saving manner. When a digital camera and a personal computer are connected with each other for data communication, the system compares record unit information to identify an image file that the digital camera has with record unit information to identify an image file that the personal computer has, and transfers to save the image file, which includes the record unit information that the digital camera has and the personal computer does not have, from the digital camera to the personal computer. After completing transfer of the image file from the digital camera to the personal computer, the personal computer generates record unit information newer than the record unit information of the acquired image file and transmits the newer record unit information to the digital camera, which can be recorded in the header of the image file newly photographed by the digital camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kanehiro, Koji Oka, Shigekazu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7187408
    Abstract: A digital camera includes a shutter button. An optimal compression ratio of an image signal fetched in response to a photographing instruction from the shutter button is predicted prior to the photographing instruction. More specifically, an image signal fetched before application of the photographing instruction is compressed by a JPEG codec, and the optimal compression ratio is predicted based on a size of a compressed image signal thus obtained. An image signal fetched in response to the photographing instruction is compressed on the basis of the optimal compression ratio, and a compressed image signal thus obtained is recorded onto a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junya Kaku
  • Patent number: 7187409
    Abstract: An OB level difference is calculated from the luminance signal levels of at least two frames which are exposed for proper exposure time and for exposure time different from the proper exposure time, and the OB level difference is corrected in an input step of a signal processing circuit. Calculation of the OB level difference is performed regularly from immediately after power on of the equipment, the OB level difference obtained in each frame is multiplied, and a value obtained by dividing the multiplied OB level difference by the number of sampled frames is designated as a correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Nakahira, Akihiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7187410
    Abstract: In a MOS type sensor including a floating diffusion (FD) amplifier in each pixel, the number of pulse lines is reduced, so as to improve the numerical aperture. For this purpose, a read pulse for a read transistor of a first pixel and a reset pulse for a reset transistor of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel in a column direction are supplied through a common gate line; a LOW level potential of a drain line connected to a drain region (a region for supplying a pulse voltage to an FD portion through the reset transistor) of the first pixel is set to a potential higher than a potential depth of a photodiode of the first pixel in resetting the second pixel; and potential below the gate of the reset transistor of the first pixel obtained by applying a LOW level voltage to this gate is set to a potential higher than the LOW level potential of the drain line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi Yamaguchi, Hiroyoshi Komobuchi
  • Patent number: 7187411
    Abstract: In a CCD image sensor, a CCD line memory is disposed between each vertical charge transfer device and a horizontal charge transfer device to selectively transfer charges from each vertical charge transfer device to the horizontal charge transfer device. A discharge drain is disposed along the horizontal charge transfer device to selectively discharge charges from vertical charge transfer devices via the horizontal charge transfer device to the discharge drain. Therefore, image data in which the numbers respectively of the vertical and horizontal pixels are reduced can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuo Yamada
  • Patent number: 7187412
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is described to improve a digital camera user interface and increase ease of use and functionality of a digital camera by quickly, accurately and robustly permitting cursor control and designation in a digital camera display. A digital camera is used as a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. The motion of the camera is detected, and the motion of the camera is used to position graphic elements on the camera's own display. The camera's motion can be detected with sensors, such as gyroscopes, or the camera itself can be used as a motion sensor. One application of this involves using the camera as a computer mouse, or like a gun-sight, to select images from a sheet of low-resolution (“thumbnail”) images. The motion of the camera is tracked, and the user aims at the desired image from a sheet of thumbnail images. The thumbnails appear to be fixed relative to the world because the camera can continuously reposition them in the display based upon the motion of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: D. Amnon Silverstein
  • Patent number: 7187413
    Abstract: An image based autofocus method and system that includes receiving image data; monitoring and analyzing the contrast between different portions of the image data in determining the location of a target wherein the different portions of the image data contain at least one type of image pixel information and the monitoring and analyzing are performed using at least one kernel filter to determine a focus measure; adjusting a focus mechanism that is focusing on the image data; observing an image quality of the image data that has been focused; and continuously outputting an image to support an image processing frame rate and adjusting the focus mechanism to obtain an improved focus image by adjusting the focus mechanism in a positive direction, a negative direction or a zero (0) direction based upon effectuating a desired change in the observed image quality of the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy Alderson
  • Patent number: 7187414
    Abstract: Disclosed is a circuit for stabilizing a high tension voltage of a CRT and a method thereof. A feedback unit receives a cutoff voltage from the CRT. A compensating unit calculates a variation quantity of the cutoff voltage on the basis of the cutoff voltage from the feedback unit. The variation quantity of the cutoff voltage is compared with a high tension voltage compensation data stored in a storing unit according to the variation quantity of the cutoff voltage. Accordingly, the circuit for stabilizing the high tension voltage of the CRT and the method thereof can overcome inaccuracy of the high tension voltage compensation due to delay, and cut down the production cost by removing an ABL circuit and a high tension voltage compensating capacitor. Since the ABL circuit is not used, it is also possible to perform partial compensation according to an alternating current variation quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-joo Jung
  • Patent number: 7187415
    Abstract: Video is received at a standard aspect ratio. The video includes video content having an alternate aspect ratio. The video content is provided in a letterboxed format with black bars to make up the standard aspect ratio. The video is analyzed to identify portions of the video related to changing video content. A boundary for the changing video content is identified as the alternate aspect ratio. The alternate aspect ratio is then applied to the video to present the video at the alternate aspect ratio. Extraneous portions of the video, such as the black bars, are then discarded from the video to present the video at the alternate aspect ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: ATI Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jitesh Arora
  • Patent number: 7187417
    Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus which performs a frame-rate conversion of a progressive line-scan video signal based on a film source of M film frames per second (wherein M is a natural number) into a video signal in which a same film frame is repeated N times for each 1/M second, and mixes, frame by frame, a video signal of a preceding frame and a video signal of a following frame of the converted progressive line-scan video signal. Thus, the display quality of telecine-converted images can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignees: Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer Display Products Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Honda, Takashi Okushima, Tetsuro Nagakubo
  • Patent number: 7187418
    Abstract: T Systems and methods for providing picture-in-picture, or other multi-picture displays. Some of the systems include two or more video and/or data signals that are coupled to a transmission device. In addition, a selector signal is coupled to the transmission device. The transmission device also includes a video output that, based at least in part on the selector signal, provides a derivative of one of the video and/or data signals at a first compression and bandwidth, and the other video and/or data signal at a second compression and bandwidth. Various of the methods include utilize the systems to transmit two or more video outputs based at least in part on a selector signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Qwest Communications International, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Phillips, Steven M. Casey, Kurt A. Campbell, Donald Brodigan
  • Patent number: 7187419
    Abstract: A television tuner includes a surface acoustic wave filter that receives input of an intermediate-frequency signal; an integrated circuit for detecting the intermediate-frequency signal, the integrated circuit including a video detector and a voltage-controlled oscillator that supplies a local oscillation signal for synchronous detection to the video detector; and a tank circuit that is provided externally to the integrated circuit and that is connected to the voltage-controlled oscillator. The integrated circuit has balanced input terminals associated with a first edge, and two connecting terminals associated with a second edge opposite to the first edge. The balanced input terminals are connected to output terminals of the surface acoustic wave filter, and the connecting terminals are connected to the tank circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7187420
    Abstract: An image display system comprises a first liquid crystal projector which projects a counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form an image containing specific visual information on a screen and a second liquid crystal projector which projects a clockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light beam to form a white image on the same screen. When viewed with the naked eye, a combination of the two images projected on the screen appears totally white. A viewer wearing a dedicated viewing device equipped with an optical filter which allows counterclockwise-rotating, circularly polarized light to pass through can selectively see the image projected by the first liquid crystal projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata, Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7187421
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising: signal lines and scanning lines arranged in first and second directions on an insulation substrate; display elements formed in vicinity of cross points of the signal lines and scanning lines; liquid crystal capacitors and auxiliary capacitors which accumulate electric charge in accordance with voltages of the signal lines via said display elements; a signal line drive circuit which drives the signal lines; a scanning line drive circuit which drives the scanning lines; auxiliary capacitor power supply lines arranged in the first direction, to which one ends of said auxiliary capacitors arranged in the second direction are commonly connected; and auxiliary capacitor power supply line voltage control circuits which control voltages of said auxiliary capacitor power supply lines in sync with a cycle which drives said liquid crystal capacitors and said auxiliary capacitors by polarity reverse, wherein said auxiliary capacito
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Tsunashima, Hiroyuki Kimura, Masao Karube, Hisao Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7187422
    Abstract: A method for use in the fabrication of active plates for pixellated devices, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays, having pixel electrodes (38) and associated address lines (32) formed from a layer of transparent conductive material (53) through which the conductivity of the address lines is improved. The transparent conductive layer (53) and a metal layer (54) are deposited in succession and followed by a shielding layer (60), e.g. of photoresist, which is patterned into a configuration of regions (67,68,69) corresponding to the required pixel dielectrodes and address lines with a property of the layer at these respective regions being different. This enables the regions of this layer corresponding to the pixel electrodes to be selectively etched away, thereby allowing the metal at these regions to be selectively removed while leaving metal at the address lines. The method simplifies the production of low mask mount TFT active plates with improved address line conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Ian D. French, Pieter J. Van der Zaag
  • Patent number: 7187423
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a display and a method for repairing defects of the same in which defects such as inter-layer short-circuits and short-circuits in a single that have occurred at steps for manufacturing the display can be easily repaired to provide a good product with a probability higher than that in the related art. Laser irradiation is carried out as a first cycle of laser irradiation by forming a slit S1 in a region where a drain bus line 220 completely covers a gate bus line 218 to form a cut portion longer than the width of the gate bus line 218 adjacent to an inter-layer short-circuit 290 such that it splits an intersecting portion of the drain bus line 220 into two parts as shown in FIG. 5b. Next, as shown in FIG. 5c, slits S2 and S3 are respectively used for second and third cycles of laser irradiation to cut the drain bus line 220 at both ends of the cut portion (indicated by S1), thereby isolating the inter-layer short-circuit 290 of the drain bus line 220.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ozaki, Tsuyoshi Kamada, Kunio Matsubara, Shinya Katoh, Yoshihisa Taguchi, Katsushige Asada, Shogo Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7187424
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combination of optical films comprising a twisted A-plate retarder and a polarizer, its use in displays and optical elements, and to displays comprising such a combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Owin Parri, Karl Skjonnemand, Kim Slaney, Mark Verrall
  • Patent number: 7187425
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a pixel structure, an electro-optical apparatus, and an electronic instrument, which are capable of clearly displaying both images, such as natural paintings, and line drawings, such as characters, with a very simple structure. A pixel structure according to exemplary embodiments of the invention include a plurality of pixels disposed in a delta arrangement, each of the plurality of pixels having four sub-pixels that are four divisions divided from the pixel, and divided sides of the sub-pixels are arranged in a vertical direction or in a horizontal direction. In the course of display using a plurality of the pixels aligned in a delta arrangement, images, such as natural paintings, can be clearly displayed. On the other hand, in the course of display using a plurality of the second pixels A aligned in a square arrangement, line drawings, such as characters and figures, can be clearly displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7187426
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates 2a and 2b individually provided with electrodes 14a and 14b, a sealing material 3 with which the substrates 2a and 2b are attached to each other, a first terminal installed on one substrate 2a, a second terminal which is installed on the other substrate 2b and which is connected to the electrode 14b on the substrate 2b, a conducting material 21 for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal, a wiring 19b which is installed on the substrate 2a and which is connected to the first terminal, and a light-shielding film 23 installed in at least a part of a region, which corresponds to the wiring 19b, on the other substrate 2b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kaneko, Chihiro Tanaka, Tadashi Tsuyuki
  • Patent number: 7187427
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an improved flat panel type display apparatus allowing a low cost and a simplified wiring process. First and second terminal groups adjacent to each other as well as a third terminal group separated from the first and second terminal groups and are formed on the outside edge of a rear glass substrate of display section main body of the display apparatus. The first terminal group is comprised of connection terminals formed with wiring patterns connected to display electrodes. The second and third terminal groups and are connected to each other by predetermined wiring patterns. On connection end of TCP equipped with a driver IC, there are formed connecting terminals corresponding to the first and second terminal groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Ide, Tomihiro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 7187428
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of fabricating a ferroelectric liquid crystal display which prevents problems of injecting liquid crystal that result from a volume shrinking of the liquid crystal during the injection process. In the method, the pressure in a chamber is changed to above a liquid crystal injection pressure, while cooling a liquid crystal panel after injecting the liquid crystal, and at the same time, the temperature of a liquid crystal tray maintained at a liquid crystal injection temperature, to continue injection of the liquid crystal to an otherwise un-injected portion of the liquid crystal panel, so that an problems related to inadequate injection can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suk Won Choi, Su Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 7187429
    Abstract: An alignment mark selection method includes steps of determining whether an alignment mark provided in a shot area on a substrate is selectable with respect to each alignment mark, and selecting alignment marks from alignment marks determined to be selectable in the determining step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuneari Fukada
  • Patent number: 7187430
    Abstract: A system for microlithography comprises an illumination source; an illumination optical system including, in order from an objective side, (a) a first diffractive optical element that receives illumination from the illumination source, (b) a zoom lens, (c) a second diffractive optical element, (d) a condenser lens, (e) a relay lens, and (f) a reticle, and a projection optical system for imaging the reticle onto a substrate, wherein the system for microlithography provides a zoomable numerical aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: ASML Holding N.V.
    Inventors: Mark Oskotsky, Lev Ryzhikov, Scott Coston, James Tsacoyeanes, Walter Augustyn
  • Patent number: 7187431
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes an interferometric sensor for measuring the wavefront of a radiation beam at, the interferometric sensor having a detector; an actuator for displacing the interferometric sensor in a direction along an optical axis; a first module for determining the change of phase of the wavefront at each of a plurality of locations on the detector, the change of phase resulting from displacement of the interferometric sensor by the actuator; and a second module for determining, for each of the plurality of locations, the corresponding pupil location at a pupil plane of the projection system traversed by the radiation, using the change of phase determined by the first module and the value of the displacement of the interferometric sensor, to produce a mapping between locations on the detector and corresponding pupil locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Haico Victor Kok, Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans
  • Patent number: 7187432
    Abstract: A holding system for holding an object from above, against gravity. The holding system includes at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from above, at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto, and a gap measuring unit for measuring a gap between the object and the at least one attracting portion. The attraction force of the attracting portion is controlled on the basis of the measurement made by the gap measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shin Matsui
  • Patent number: 7187433
    Abstract: An electrostatic clamp assembly for a lithographic apparatus is provided. The clamp assembly includes an electrostatic clamp structured to clamp an article against an article support structure during projection of a beam of radiation, and a controller structured to control at least one of the clamp and a backfill gas pressure to release the article from the article support structure by use of the backfill gas pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Joost Jeroen Ottens, Hendrik Antony Johannes Neerhof, Koen Jacobus Johannes Maria Zaal, Marco Le Kluse
  • Patent number: 7187434
    Abstract: A surveying apparatus includes an irradiation portion provided with an objective lens, and for irradiating a ranging light toward a measured object, a ranging portion for measuring a distance per unit time more than once based on a reflection light reflected by the measured object and entered through the objective lens, a collimation optical system portion for collimating the measured object through the objective lens, the collimation optical system portion being provided with an image processing device configured to obtain a collimation image obtained through the objective lens, and a determination device to determine whether or not a moving obstacle has passed a projection optical path of the ranging light during projecting the ranging light based on an image obtained by the image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
    Inventors: Fumio Ohtomo, Kaoru Kumagai
  • Patent number: 7187435
    Abstract: An error analysis tester for an optical component includes an optical transmitter, an optical attenuator, a port, a receiver, a processor and a graphical display. The optical transmitter and optical attenuator produce a test signal at a plurality of selected optical power levels. The port is configured to output the test signal to the optical component and to receive a version of the test signal from the optical component. The receiver determines errors in the received version of the test signal. The processor determines data points of a function associated with an error rate at each of the selected power levels and a line corresponding to the data points. The graphical display produces a visual plot of the data points and the corresponding line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Inventors: Jorge Eduardo Franke, John Sargent French, Sheldon Louis Sun, William Joseph Thompson
  • Patent number: 7187436
    Abstract: A multi-resolution inspection system and method of operation. The system may comprise a first scanning system having a first resolution, wherein the first scanning system is operable to perform a first resolution scan of a surface area of an object to identify a location of a surface abnormality in the object. The system may also comprise a second scanning system having a second resolution, the second resolution being smaller than the first resolution. The second scanning system is operable to receive the location of the surface abnormality from the first scanning system and to automatically perform a second resolution scan of a defined region of the object around the location of the surface abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin George Harding, Joseph Benjamin Ross
  • Patent number: 7187437
    Abstract: Described is an anomaly detector apparatus 10 for detecting an anomaly in a substrate, e.g., a tire comprising: a source of coherent light 20 to shine the light 27 directly onto the tire surface 24 and the light being reflected 32 from the tire; a stressing apparatus 12, which is juxtaposed to the tire and which, can optionally stress the tire; a reflected light receiving apparatus 40 for receiving the light 32 reflected directly from the tire surface 24 whether the tire is in a stressed or unstressed condition; a comparator 44 which views and compares images of reflected light from the reflected light receiving apparatus 40 when the tire is stressed or unstressed thereby ascertaining an anomaly in the tire and generates an output from the comparison; and a display apparatus 46 electronically connected to the comparator for displaying the output from the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Shearographics, LLC
    Inventors: Eugene L. Shaw, Forrest S. Wright
  • Patent number: 7187438
    Abstract: The present invention is characterized by the following: incident illumination and oblique illumination are performed on a scratch and a foreign material, which have been made on a surface of a polished or a ground insulating layer, with substantially the same luminous flux; and on the basis of a correlation such as a ratio of intensity of scattered light generated by the shallow scratch and the foreign material between the incident illumination and the oblique illumination, the shallow scratch is discriminated from the foreign material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi High-Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Hamamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Yoshimasa Ooshima, Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Tetsuya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7187439
    Abstract: Inspection system and method for high-throughput inspection, the system and method is capable to generate and sense transmitted and/or reflected short duration beams. According to one embodiment of the invention the transmitted and reflected short duration beams are generated and sensed simultaneously thus provide a reflected image and a transmitted image simultaneously. The reflected and transmitted short duration radiation beams are manipulated either in the frequency domain or are distinctly polarized such that they are directed to the appropriate area sensors. According to another aspect of the invention the system changes the manipulation of a short duration beam of radiation to selectively direct the short duration beam to distinct area sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Israel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Emanuel Elyasaf, Haim Feldman, Simon Yalov, Eitan Lahat
  • Patent number: 7187440
    Abstract: A holographic sensor for recognizing moisture on a glass pane of a motor vehicle is provided, having a casing, a carrier layer, a diffractive element and an adhesive layer, the diffractive element being fixed, preferably glued, on the carrier layer. The diffractive element may be embodied as an embossed hologram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Sautter, Stefan Stampfer
  • Patent number: 7187441
    Abstract: A system (20) and method are disclosed for the self-calibrating, on-line determination of size distribution f(x) and volume fraction ? of a number of particles (P) dispersed in a medium (M) by detecting one or more propagation characteristics of multiply scattered light from the particles (P). The multiply scattered light is re-emitted in response to exposure to a light source (21) configured to provide light at selected wavelengths. The determination includes calculating the isotropic scattering and absorption coefficients for the particles (P) by comparing the incident and detected light to determine a measurement corresponding to the propagation time through the scattering medium (M), and iteratively estimating the size distribution f(x) and volume fraction ? as a function of the coefficients for each of the wavelengths. An estimation approach based on an expected form of the distribution and the mass of the particles is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Eva Sevick-Muraca, Joseph Pierce, Steven Richter, Rajesh Shinde, Ganesh Balgi, Jeffrey Kao, Huabei Jiang
  • Patent number: 7187442
    Abstract: A variably-polarizing optical probe assembly. The assembly includes an optical probe having one or more optical light delivery channels that emit incident light from the sample end of the probe toward a sample being investigated, and one or more optical light-receiving channels that receive incident light from the sample. A variably-polarizing substrate assembly is coupled to the sample end of the probe. The substrate assembly includes an optically transmitting substrate and one or more discrete polarizer areas on a face of the substrate, each such polarizer area defining a polarization orientation, with the polarizer areas together defining one or more different polarization orientations. The substrate assembly is arranged relative to the probe such that one polarizer area covers at least one light delivery channel and one polarizer area covers at least one light-receiving channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Optimum Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Randal B. Chinnock, Jeffrey S. Melanson
  • Patent number: 7187443
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determination of bulk refractive indicies of flowable liquids utilizing thin films thereof on a roughened surface of a rigid or semi-rigid object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: J.A. Woollam Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald A. Synowicki, Thomas E. Tiwald
  • Patent number: 7187444
    Abstract: In a measuring method utilizing the phenomenon of attenuation in total internal reflection in which a light beam is caused to enter a dielectric block provided with a film layer to be brought into contact with a sample so that total internal reflection conditions are satisfied at the interface of the dielectric block and the film layer and various angles of incidence of the light beam to the interface of the dielectric block and the film layer can be obtained, and the intensity of the light beam reflected in total internal reflection at the interface is detected, the light beam is caused to intermittently impinge upon the dielectric block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Naya, Mitsuru Sawano, Shu Sato, Toshihito Kimura, Hitoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7187445
    Abstract: A light beam is deflected by refraction and total internal reflection through a first prism, and projected through a first lens onto a scene that is to be scanned. The prism rotates, which varies the deflection angle and scans the beam across the scene along a scan line. Preferably, the successive side surfaces of the prism have different tilt angles relative to the rotation axis, so as to respectively deflect the beam in different deflection planes which cause successive scan lines of the beam across the scene. The emitted beam gives rise to a reflected beam from the scene, which is received through a second lens and deflected onto a photodetector through a second prism congruent to and rotating synchronously with the first prism. This apparatus is suitable as a laser scanning device for an object recognition system or a spacing distance regulation system of a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Schanz, Robert Kraus, Wilfried Mehr
  • Patent number: 7187446
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus includes a sensor well unit having a plurality of sample wells, which are formed in a dielectric block and a thin film layer provided on the inner bottom surface of each sample well. A light beam projector causes a plurality of light beams to impinge upon the interfaces of the inner bottom surfaces of one-dimensionally arranged sample wells out of the plurality of sample wells and the thin film layers at various angles of incidence so that total internal reflection conditions are satisfied at each of the interfaces, and the light beams reflected at the respective interfaces are received by a photodetector. A longitudinal tilt measuring system measures a longitudinal tilt of the interface from a predetermined reference position, and a corrected measured value corrected according to the longitudinal tilt measured by the longitudinal tilt measuring system is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihito Kimura
  • Patent number: 7187447
    Abstract: A stepped etalon having a top surface and two bottom surfaces that are parallel to the top surface and are each positioned at different distances from the top surface. Each bottom surface has an edge, wherein the edges face one another and a sloping step is positioned between the two edges so that rays from a beam of light projected onto the top surface of the etalon strike the step at the Brewster angle and pass through the etalon without any light being reflected back therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alexandrovich, Stephen O'Brien, Richard B. Bylsma
  • Patent number: 7187448
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fiber-optic gyrometer including a Sagnac interferometer using two light waves propagating in opposite directions in a interferometer loop including a photodetector which delivers an electrical signal Ud representing the light intensity of the interference between the two waves, and for optically phase-shifting the waves controlled by a square-wave modulation signal Um suitable for controlling an optical phase variation at a frequency FO substantially equal to 1/(2to), where to is the propagation time of a wave through the guide. The photodetector is connected to at least a first sampling circuit and a second sampling circuit which are controlled in phase opposition by a clock. The gyrometer includes a means for inverting the phase of the clock at a frequency f, which is very much less than the frequency FO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Lehureau
  • Patent number: 7187449
    Abstract: A displacement detection device having excellent stability with the lapse of time and suitable for reduction in size and weight includes: a light source for emitting light; polarizing light splitting unit for splitting the light emitted from the light source into two light beams having difference polarized components, radiating the two light beams to an external optical system, and combining the two light beams reflected by the external optical system to generate combined light; a phase plate provided between the light source and the polarizing light splitting unit and adapted for changing the polarization state of the light emitted from the light source and leading the light to the polarizing light splitting unit; light splitting films for splitting the combined light generated by the polarizing light splitting unit into plural light beams; polarizing units for transmitting only a predetermined polarized components of the split combined light beams; and light-receiving elements for photoelectrically converti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Precision Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Hideaki Tamiya, Kayoko Taniguchi, Akihiro Kuroda, Hidehiro Kume
  • Patent number: 7187450
    Abstract: An interferometric measuring device for measuring surface characteristics, shapes, distances, and changes in distance, for example vibrations, of measurement objects includes a probe section. A configuration with respect to ease of use and error-free scanning may be provided by the fact that the probe section is subdivided into a fixed probe section and a rotatable probe section mechanically and optically coupled thereto, and that a beam splitter is arranged in the rotatable probe section for creating a reference beam and a measuring beam for the interferometric measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Pawel Drabarek
  • Patent number: 7187451
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a two-dimensional displacement is disclosed and includes a laser light source, a collimator lens, a beam splitter, a plurality of staggered conjugate optic lens and a plurality of interference optical dephasing modules. The laser light source provides a laser light incident on the collimator lens to generate collimated laser beams. Each of the collimated laser beams are incident on the beam splitter to be separated into two incident beams and incident on a two-dimensional diffraction unit to generate a plurality of first diffracted beams and a plurality of second-order diffracted beams. The staggered conjugate optic lens are used to reflect the first diffracted beams so that the first diffracted beams return to the two-dimensional diffraction unit to generate a plurality of second diffracted beams where the second diffracted beams and the second-order diffracted beams generated as a result of the first diffraction of the beams stagger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Reserach Institute
    Inventors: Ching-Fen Kao, Chung-Chu Chang, Ching-Fang Lin
  • Patent number: 7187452
    Abstract: A ground-based method is disclosed which determines the spatial statistics of fragmented and spatially variably dispersed objects in a transmissive medium, by generating a plurality of pulsed beams of laser energy, the beams having selectively variable width and shape; selectively varying the width and shape of the beams; directing the beams toward the dispersed objects; measuring the time and/or phase and intensity of signals returned by the dispersed objects, and calculating the apparent reflectance of the dispersed objects as a function of the range of the dispersed objects for each beam width and beam shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: David L. Jupp, David A. Parkin, George V. Poropat, Jennifer L. Lovell
  • Patent number: 7187453
    Abstract: A method for measuring the cavity length of a remote sensing interferometer by locally replicating the state of the remote sensing interferometer by way of a local interferometer. The local interferometer is produced by micro-electromechanical micro machining techniques, thus obtaining a highly accurate and reliable fiber optic sensing at a cost comparable to electronic sensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Opsens Inc.
    Inventor: Claude Belleville
  • Patent number: 7187454
    Abstract: While a ball 14 is inserted into a hole WA of a workpiece W and is moved in the longitudinal direction of the hole WA while automatically centripetally moved, a change of back pressure of a gas injected into the hole WA is detected by a converter 30, and at the same time reflected light from a reflection member 18 provided on the ball 14 is received by a light receiving unit 22 and a change of peak position A of an amount of the received light is calculated, so as to calculate an inner diameter, straightness, and cylindricity of the hole WA, thus providing an inexpensive noncontact measuring apparatus 10 which measures the inner diameter, the straightness, and the cylindricity of the hole WA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Matsutori
  • Patent number: 7187455
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring and calibrating the measurement of small volumes of liquids. The small volumes of liquid are typically dispensed from liquid delivery devices, the delivery device often having multiple channels to analyze many samples at once. The liquid samples are delivered to one or more cells, typically in a multi-well plate, and positioned in a spectrophotometer for determining an absorbance of a chromophore in the liquid sample. Based upon an absorbance measurement and the concentration of the chromophore, a path length of the liquid sample is determined, from which a volume of the sample may be calculated. The method and apparatus provide various means for correcting for differences in the dimensions and/or other factors causing a non-linear deviation from the Beer-Lambert law. A system or kit may be provided including sets of sample solutions of varying dilution ranges for calibrating different liquid volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Artel, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard H. Curtis
  • Patent number: 7187456
    Abstract: A method for measuring at least one desired parameter of a patterned structure having a plurality of features defined by a certain process of its manufacturing. The structure represents a grid having at least one cycle formed of at least two metal-containing regions spaced by substantially transparent regions with respect to incident light defining a waveguide. An optical model is provided, which is based on at least some of the features of the structure defined by a certain process of its manufacturing, and on the relation between a range of the wavelengths of incident radiation to be used for measurements and a space size between the two metal-containing regions in the grid cycle, and a skin depth of said metal. The model is capable of determining theoretical data representative of photometric intensities of light components of different wavelengths specularly reflected from the structure and of calculating said at least one desired parameter of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: David Scheiner, Vladimir Machavariani