Patents Issued in February 18, 2014
  • Patent number: 8654313
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, on a substrate, a resist layer is laminated on an upper side of a pattern formation layer on which a desired pattern is formed. A diffraction pattern that diffracts exposure light irradiated on the substrate is formed further on the upper side than the resist layer. Overall exposure is performed from above the diffraction pattern using a deformed light having illumination light source shape determined according to the desired pattern. Diffracted light diffracted on the diffraction pattern by the exposure is irradiated on the resist layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masanori Takahashi, Takashi Sato, Satoshi Tanaka, Soichi Inoue, Takamasa Takaki
  • Patent number: 8654314
    Abstract: The system includes a rotary turret platform for aiming of a high power laser beam. The system further includes a turret payload device coupled to the rotary turret platform. The system further includes an off-axis telescope coupled to the turret payload, having an articulated secondary mirror for correcting optical aberrations, and configured to reflect the high power laser beam to a target through a first of at least two conformal windows. The system further includes an illuminator beam device configured to actively illuminating the target to generate a return aberrated wavefront through the first of the at least two conformal windows. The system further includes a coarse tracker coupled to the turret payload, positioned parallel to and on an axis of revolution of the off-axis telescope, and configured to detect, acquire, and track the target through the second of the at least two conformal windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: William B. King, John D. Isker, Chaunchy F. Mckearn, Eric J. Griffin
  • Patent number: 8654315
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for ascertaining a gap between a stationary member and a rotating member are disclosed. At least a reference beam and a signal beam, which have different focal lengths or which diverge/converge at different rates, are fixed to the stationary member and proximate to each other. The beams are projected across a gap between the stationary member and the rotating member toward the rotating member. The reference and signal beams are reflected by the translating member when it intersects the reference and signal beam, and the reflected reference and signal pulses are obtained. One or more features of the reflected reference pulse and the reflected signal pulse, such as a rise time of the pulses, a fall time of the pulses, a width of the pulses and a delay between the reflected reference pulse and the reflected signal pulse, among other factors, are obtained. The width of the gap is obtained using at least one of these factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Prime Photonics, LC
    Inventor: Daniel Kominsky
  • Patent number: 8654316
    Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure provide a target system that is small and low power. In one embodiment, the target system transmits an intensity modulated light beam to a target (which may be tagged with a fluorescent taggant), collects the resulting return light from the target, and separates out elastic light scatter and fluorescent light in the collected light. The intensities of the elastic light scatter and the fluorescent light are then separately detected by first and second photodetectors, respectively. The first photodetector generates an elastic scatter detection signal based on the detected elastic light scatter and the second photodetector generates a fluorescent detection signal based on the detected fluorescent light. The elastic scatter detection signal and/or the fluorescent detection signal are used to provide one or more of the following functions: 1) target detection, 2) range determination, 3) taggant detection, and 4) taggant discrimination/confirmation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Glennon
  • Patent number: 8654317
    Abstract: In an FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) sensor, a stress direction converter includes a flat portion to which stresses are applied from the exterior, and stress transmitting sections that are bridged from the flat portion to an optical fiber cable. An inclined portion of the optical fiber cable, through which reflected light reflected by gratings is transmitted, is disposed along an inclined section that makes up one of the stress transmitting sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Kunigami, Nobuhiro Fueki
  • Patent number: 8654318
    Abstract: A medical fluid delivery system includes a medical fluid delivery machine including a light source configured to generate a light beam; a polarizer configured to receive the light beam and to allow a portion of the light beam within the medical fluid to be transmitted through the polarizer, a photodetector to provide a measurement of an intensity of the light beam transmitted through a medical fluid and the polarizer; a medical fluid cassette operating with the medical fluid machine to pump the medical fluid, the medical fluid cassette loaded onto the medical fluid delivery machine such that the light source resides on a first side of the cassette and the photodetector resides on a second side of the cassette; and a computer configured to use the measurement of the intensity to determine whether the medical fluid can be delivered to a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare S.A.
    Inventor: James S. Slepicka
  • Patent number: 8654319
    Abstract: A low cost sensing system that can measure both chlorophyll concentration and turbidity is provided. The system is an optical system that utilizes at least three light sensors for measuring side-scattered and forward scattered light, as well as fluorescence. The system is able to take optical density measurements, steady state fluorescence measurements and maximum fluorescence measurements, and can be configured for wireless control and data transmission. The system may also be housed in one or more fluidtight housings so as to make it submersible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Govind Rao, Hung Lam, Yordan Kostov, Leah Tolosa, Xudong Ge
  • Patent number: 8654320
    Abstract: An optical line monitoring apparatus and optical line monitoring system which can measure a reflectance distribution in an optical line with a high spatial resolution in a short time are provided. An optical line monitoring apparatus 14A provided in a station 10A comprises an OCDR measurement section 15 for carrying out OCDR measurement, an OTDR measurement section 16 for carrying out OTDR measurement, an optical switch 13 for selectively connecting one of the OCDR measurement section 15 and OTDR measurement section 16 to the optical coupler 12, a control section 17, and a storage device 18. The control section 17 performs a predetermined arithmetic operation according to an OCDR measurement result acquired by causing the OCDR measurement section 15 to carry out the OCDR measurement and an OTDR measurement result acquired by causing the OTDR measurement section 16 to carry out the OTDR measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takemi Hasegawa, Tetsuya Hayashi, Haruo Nakaji
  • Patent number: 8654321
    Abstract: Methods for testing optical equipment are disclosed. One method includes connecting an optical time domain reflectometer to optical equipment to be tested, the optical equipment including at least one optical connector. The method includes injecting an optical signal onto the optical equipment from the optical time domain reflectometer, and observing an amount of reflected light at the connector. Based on the observed reflected light, an amount of loss attributable to the optical equipment is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael James Ott
  • Patent number: 8654322
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the aim of vehicle headlamps including measuring the light intensity of a light beam emitted by a vehicle headlamp to check the aim of the vehicle headlamp. The apparatus includes a linear photosensitive array having a plurality of individual photo sensors positioned between a plurality of baffles. The array is movably mounted to a frame whereby it can be positioned at predetermined locations to measure light beam intensity and correspondingly determine the beam pattern and aim point of a headlamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Kurt Peterson
  • Patent number: 8654323
    Abstract: An analyzing apparatus includes a microchip, a detecting unit and an analyzing-measuring unit. The microchip is formed of a light transmissive material formed with a separation fluid channel that is a light measuring part. The detecting unit includes an emitted-light guiding unit that emits light to the separation fluid channel, and a received-light guiding unit that receives light through the separation fluid channel. The emitted-light guiding unit or the received-light guiding unit placed at a position facing a microchip support table via the microchip abuts the microchip, and pushes the microchip in a direction toward the microchip support table. The analyzing-measuring unit includes the detecting unit, the emitted-light guiding unit and the received-light guiding unit, and detects a constituent of a sample filled in the separation fluid channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke Matsumoto, Yasunori Shiraki
  • Patent number: 8654324
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inspecting the edge of semiconductor wafers, including a chromatic confocal microscope with a lighting pathway and an analysis pathway, the lighting pathway including a polychromatic light source, a slot and an axial chromatism objective lens comprising a lens at least made of a material having an Abbe number lower than 50, and the analysis pathway includes said objective lens, a chromatic filtering slot with a light intensity sensor in that order, the slot of the lighting pathway and the slot of the analysis pathway being provided at substantially the same optical distance from the edge of the wafer to be inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Altatech Semiconductor
    Inventor: Philippe Gastaldo
  • Patent number: 8654325
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a placement table on which a substrate is disposed; a light source configured to irradiate light on the surface of the substrate on the placement unit; a detector configured to detect the light amount reflected from the substrate; and a control unit configured to perform a determination process of determining whether a detection value of the light amount is smaller than a predetermined value at a plurality of positions, and to determine that a holding state of the substrate is abnormal when the total number of times of determination in which it is determined that the detection value is smaller than the predetermined value reaches a predetermined number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Nakamizo, Satoshi Morita
  • Patent number: 8654326
    Abstract: Apparatus for performing Raman spectroscopy may include a first laser source having a first emission wavelength and a second laser source having a second emission wavelength. A separation between the first and second emission wavelengths may correspond to a width of a Raman band of a substance of interest. A switch may provide switching between the first and second laser sources. An ensemble of individually addressable laser emitters may be provided. A Bragg grating element may receive laser light from the ensemble. An optical system may direct light from the Bragg grating element into an optical fiber. A combined beam through the optical fiber may contain light from each of the emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: PD-LD, Inc.
    Inventors: Boris Leonidovich Volodin, Vladimir Sinisa Ban
  • Patent number: 8654327
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spectrometer for analyzing the optical emission of a sample by means of pulsed excitation of an optical spectral emission, having an excitation source, a gap arrangement, at least one dispersive element and having detectors for the emitted spectrum, in which two beam paths are provided with two dispersive elements, the first dispersive element of which images the spectrum of the emission onto a number of spatially resolving detectors and the second dispersive element of which images the spectrum of the emission onto a number of time-resolving detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Spectro Analytical Instruments GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Bohle, Ulrich Heynen
  • Patent number: 8654328
    Abstract: Devices and methods for hyperspectral and multispectral imaging are discussed. In particular, Image Mapping Spectrometer systems, methods of use, and methods of manufacture are presented. Generally, an image mapping spectrometer comprises an image mapping field unit, a spectral separation unit, and a selective imager. Image mapping spectrometers may be used in spectral imaging of optical samples. In some embodiments, the image mapping field unit of an image mapping spectrometer may be manufactured with surface shaped diamond tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Tomasz S. Tkaczyk, Robert T. Kester, Liang Gao
  • Patent number: 8654329
    Abstract: An optical fluid monitoring system for imaging debris and other particles in a flowing fluid. The system can have multiple sensors (camera and viewing port) connected to a single, remotely located, laser and computer. The system can also include multiple lasers, viewing ports and cameras to be located at different locations in a flow, with each sensor being configured to image a different particle size range. The system can simultaneously image fluid flows on different pieces of equipment. Optical sensors can be arranged on parallel flow conduits, with each sensor configured to image a different particle size range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: John E. Tucker, John F. Reintjes
  • Patent number: 8654330
    Abstract: The present invention is a device for measuring the intensity of the light scattered by a thin film of a colloidal medium, comprising a monochromatic light source, a convergent optical system focusing the source onto the thin film to be analyzed comprising a dioptric element with one of the faces thereof constituting a first wall defining the thin film, at least one photosensitive detector producing a signal representing light scattered or backscattered by the thin film and means for processing the signal. A second wall of the device has a plane surface at the end of a rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: IFP Energies Nouvelles, Cordouan Technologies
    Inventors: Didier Frot, David Jacob
  • Patent number: 8654331
    Abstract: There is provided an electromagnetic field measurement apparatus capable of achieving correct and timely circuit operation detection in an area where electronic devices are mounted at high density. An electromagnetic field measurement apparatus includes: a laser light source; a polarized wave controller that linearly polarizes laser light; an optical fiber probe that has an electrooptic material or a magnetooptic material at its leading end and in which the laser light reflected at the leading end is subjected to polarization modulation in accordance with an electric field intensity or a magnetic field intensity; and an analyzer that converts the laser light reflected by the optical fiber probe into intensity modulated light. The laser light source emits time-multiplexed laser light of a plurality of wavelengths different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Mizuki Iwanami, Tsuneo Tsukagoshi, Risato Ohhira, Masafumi Nakada, Tomonori Yamada
  • Patent number: 8654332
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for manufacturing a chip-scale optics module for an optical interrogator. The method includes aligning a polarization axis of a linear polarizer to an angle of 45 degrees from a fast axis of a quarter wave plate to enable circular polarization of a beam, when a beam is introduced to the linear polarizer, coupling the linear polarizer to the quarter wave plate after the aligning to form a circular polarizing filter sheet and then dicing the circular polarizing filter sheet to obtain a plurality of chip-scale circular polarizing filters. Each of the chip-scale circular polarizing filters is diced to have an edge that defines a polarization location index for the linear polarizer. A linear polarizer plate face of one of the chip-scale circular polarizing filters is then positioned so that the linear polarizer plate face is aligned with and parallel to an output face of a laser, whereby the polarization axis of the linear polarizer is not orthogonal to a polarization axis of the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC
    Inventors: Robert L. Borwick, Jeffrey F DeNatale
  • Patent number: 8654333
    Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes a light source for applying a detection laser beam to a film sample. A light receiver has plural photomultiplier tubes arranged in a width direction of the film sample, for receiving output light reflected by the film sample. A defect detector detects a defect on the film sample according to an output signal output by each of the photomultiplier tubes. A sensitivity corrector sets sensitivity of the photomultiplier tubes to process an output of the light receiver for output noise suppression. Specifically, the sensitivity corrector determines a set sensitivity of the photomultiplier tubes by correcting a sensitivity characteristic thereof for abnormality detection, to keep a sensitivity difference between the photomultiplier tubes as small as a predetermined value or less. Furthermore, plural light valves upstream from the light receivers are controlled by the sensitivity corrector for their transmittance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Bungo Shigeta, Ippei Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8654334
    Abstract: An incoherent cavity ringdown spectroscopy (iCRDS) gas analyzer is provided with a gas flow path to introduce a sample gas into an enclosed volume bounded by a pair of mirrors defining an optical cavity. A pulsed broadband incoherent light source with a wavelength band that coincides with an absorption band of a specified gas species to be detected (e.g., NO2 or SO3) directs pulses of light into the optical cavity, while a photodetector is positioned to detect light exiting the cavity. A scrubber in an alternate flow path into the enclosed volume periodically scrubs the sample gas of the specified gas species. A processor determines the concentration of the specified gas species from the ringdown decay time of the photodetector measurement signals, with the periodic scrubbing of the sample gas providing a calibration reference from its slower decay time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Los Gatos Research
    Inventors: Manish Gupta, J. Brian Leen, Douglas Steven Baer
  • Patent number: 8654335
    Abstract: Method and device for quantifying ingredients of a plume. In one embodiment, the method includes sweepingly directing a beam of light through the plume to a surface on which the beam of light is scattered, acquiring the scattered light scattered from the surface, and processing the acquired scattered light to determine an amount of ingredients of the plume. In one embodiment, the height of the back of the vehicle is measured as the top of the plume for calculating the total mass-per-distance of the plume. In another embodiment, by comparing the absorption spectrum of the plume and the background absorption spectrum of which no plume exists, the non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) of the plume emitted from a vehicle can be quantified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hager Environmental and Atmospheric Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: J. Stewart Hager, Geoffrey Yerem
  • Patent number: 8654336
    Abstract: A device, system and method to measure an optical characteristic of a fluid, the device including a plurality of components consecutively arranged and coupled together via quasi kinematic or kinematic coupling. The consecutively arranged components define a void within the device. The void encloses a measuring set-up for measuring at least one optical characteristic of a fluid passing through a gap. The gap is located at an intersection between an optical path of the measuring set-up and a flow path of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Indigo B.V.
    Inventor: Nathan A Levy
  • Patent number: 8654337
    Abstract: A turbidity sensor for sensing the turbidity of a fluid in a working chamber in a household appliance is disclosed to include a light-transmissive body shell defining therein an accommodation chamber and covered with a cover member, and a sensor module, which includes a circuit board mounted in the accommodation chamber inside the body shell, a holder block a set of light-transmitting devices and a set of light-receiving devices on the circuit board in a right angle relationship for emitting light onto the fluid and picking up reflected light from suspended particles/impurities in the fluid for determination of the turbidity of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Solteam Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Shang-Jung Wu, Zen-Chyuan Chen
  • Patent number: 8654338
    Abstract: Optical sensor structure senses the presence of liquid in a sealed conservator tank. The sensor structure includes a sensor head having a body with first and second opposing ends, a plurality of perforations through the body and spaced between the first and second ends, and a mirror disposed at the second end. The perforations are constructed and arranged to receive and hold fluid therein. The sensor head is constructed and arranged to rest on a surface of a bladder. The sensor structure includes a light source, a first fiber optic cable between the light source and the first end of the body, a light detector, and a second fiber optic cable between the light detector and the first end of the body. The amount of light received by the light detector is reduced when liquid, instead of air, is in at least some of the perforations in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Luiz A. V. Cheim
  • Patent number: 8654339
    Abstract: A method for reducing fringe interference of light created in a passive cavity defined by partially reflecting optical surfaces in a laser spectroscopy system, wherein the optical path length of the cavity is varied with a triangular back-and-forth movement (x). In accordance with the invention, the spectroscopic measurement is performed in successive measurement cycles with a time interval between each two successive measurement cycles, the triangular movement is performed such that the turning points of the triangular movement (x) are positioned in successive ones of the time intervals, and after each or at each n-th measurement cycle, the time position of the turning points is moved relative to the measurement cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Pawel Kluczynski, Rikard Larking
  • Patent number: 8654340
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a detection device for imaging an object, that comprises: a laser cavity for transmitting an original light signal at an original wavelength towards the object in order to generate an evanescent wave at the surface of the object; a conversion means adapted for converting the evanescent wave into a progressive signal; a re-injection means adapted for injecting the progressive signal into the laser cavity in order to generate interference inside the laser cavity between the progressive signal and the original light signal; a detection means adapted for detecting the interference in order to determine the characteristics of the object; characterized in that the device includes a wavelength modification means adapted so that the wavelength of the progressive signal injected into the laser cavity is different from the original wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Ingenieurs (ENSI)
    Inventors: Sylvain Girard, Hervé Gilles, Mathieu Laroche
  • Patent number: 8654341
    Abstract: In a distance-measuring method, chirped laser radiation with two separable radiation components is emitted to at least one target to be surveyed and via a local oscillator path, the radiation components having an opposite chirp as a time dependency of the modulated wavelengths (?1, ?2). After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing, separation of the radiation components being effected on the basis of their spectral characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
  • Patent number: 8654342
    Abstract: In a distance-measuring method comprising a distance-measuring apparatus having at least one frequency-modulatable laser source for producing chirped laser radiation. The laser radiation has radiation components with opposite chirp as time dependency of the modulated wavelengths, the simultaneous oppositeness of the frequency curve being realized via an optical delay path (3) for one of the two radiation components. The radiation produced is passed in a measuring interferometer (5) to a target (6) and parallel via a local Oscillator. After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target (6) and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target (6) is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Thomas Jensen, Marcel Rohner
  • Patent number: 8654343
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention realizes an interference measurement apparatus which can obtain an interference image to be used for obtaining three-dimensional information of a subject which dynamically changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: National University Corporation Kyoto Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Awatsuji, Tatsuki Tahara
  • Patent number: 8654344
    Abstract: A device for generating a secondary source from a primary optical source emitting a first optical beam focused onto a surface in movement, with which said first beam interacts so as to generate a secondary beam, includes an optical device for controlling the orientation and position of said surface to determine the orientation and position of the emission point of said secondary source on said surface. The device comprises: a control laser beam split into two branches, a fixed reference beam and a mobile analysis beam reflected by the surface in movement; means for making said reference and analysis beams interfere to generate interference fringes; means for imaging the interference fringes carrying information about the orientation and position of said surface; means for analyzing said interference images; and means for generating a feedback loop for controlling the orientation and position of said surface in movement based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Nationale Superieure de Techniques Avancees
    Inventors: Antonin Borot, Rodrigo Lopez-Martens, Jean-Paul Geindre, Denis Douillet
  • Patent number: 8654345
    Abstract: An optical system, such as a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, includes a first optical component, a second optical component, and a measurement arrangement for determining the relative position of the first optical component and the second optical component in six degrees of freedom. The measurement arrangement is adapted to determine the relative position of the first optical component and the second optical component over six different length measurement sections. The length measurement sections extend directly between the first optical component and the second optical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Albrecht Hof, Dietmar Neugebauer, Rolf Freimann
  • Patent number: 8654346
    Abstract: Immersion objective arrangement including an objective, an immersion medium and an optical scattering disk, and associated method. The optical scattering disk includes a transparent substrate (1) and a light scattering layer (2) adjoining a surface of the substrate and having light-scattering-active particles (3). The light scattering layer has an embedding medium (4) which is optically denser than air and directly adjoins the facing surface of the substrate without intervening air gaps and by which the light-scattering-active particles are surrounded. Such optical scattering disks may be used, e.g., in apparatuses for wavefront measurement of high-aperture microlithography projection objectives employing lateral shearing interferometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Wegmann
  • Patent number: 8654347
    Abstract: The invention relates to controllable Fabry-Perot interferometers which are produced with micromechanical (MEMS) technology. The prior art interferometers have a temperature drift which causes inaccuracy and requirement for complicated packaging. According to the invention the interferometer arrangement has both an electrically tuneable interferometer and a reference interferometer on the same substrate. The temperature drift is measured with the reference interferometer and this information is used for compensating the measurement with the tuneable interferometer. The measurement accuracy and stability can thus be improved and requirements for packaging are lighter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Jarkko Antila, Martti Blomberg
  • Patent number: 8654348
    Abstract: The application relates to a method for analyzing the wave surface of a light beam from a source to the focus of a lens. The beam illuminates a sample on the analysis plane and having a defect. A diffraction grating of the plane is a conjugate of an analysis plane through a focal system. An image is formed in a plane at a distance from the grating plane and analyzed by processing means. The invention encodes this grating by a phase function resulting from the multiplication of two phase functions, a first exclusion function defining a meshing of useful zones transmitting the beam to be analyzed in the form of light pencil beams, and a second phase fundamental function which creates a phase opposition between two light pencil beams coming out of adjacent meshes of the exclusion grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (Onera)
    Inventors: Jérôme Primot, Bruno Toulon, Nicolas Guérineau, Sabrina Velghe, Riad Haidar
  • Patent number: 8654349
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining a topography under load of the surface of a material, wherein a test piece (40) of the material intended to be determined is subjected to a compression with a determined load between a first and a second clamping surface (7, 27), after which, in a compressed state, at least one representation is made of surface portions of the material that are in contact with at least one of said clamping surfaces (7, 27), and that the representation is evaluated. The compression is controlled in respect of its speed for obtaining said predetermined load, and said at least one representation is made at a chosen point in time or chosen points in time during this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Fibro System AB
    Inventor: Bernt Bostrom
  • Patent number: 8654350
    Abstract: An inspecting method and apparatus for inspecting a substrate surface includes illuminating a light to the substrate surface having a film, detection of a scattered light or reflected light from a plurality of positions of the substrate surface to obtain a plurality of electrical signals, comparison of the plurality of electrical signals and a database which indicates a relationship between the electrical signals and surface roughness, and calculation of a surface roughness value based on the result of comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Hamamatsu, Yoshimasa Oshima, Shunji Maeda, Hisae Shibuya, Yuta Urano, Toshiyuki Nakao, Shigenobu Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8654351
    Abstract: An offset amount calibrating method that obtains the offset amount between a contact-type detector and an image probe for a surface profile measuring machine is provided. The method includes: setting on a stage a calibration jig that has a surface being provided with a lattice pattern with a level difference; measuring the lattice pattern of the calibration jig by the contact-type detector to obtain a first reference position of the lattice pattern; capturing the image of the lattice pattern of the calibration jig by the image probe to obtain a second reference position of the lattice pattern; and obtaining the offset amount from a difference between the first and second reference positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Fukumoto, Koichi Komatsu, Fumihiro Takemura, Sadaharu Arita, Kotaro Hirano
  • Patent number: 8654352
    Abstract: A chromatic confocal scanning apparatus comprises a light source for producing light rays comprising a plurality of wavelengths, a first screen having an open elongated slit which allows a strip of light rays produced from the light source to pass through the slit and a cylindrical objective lens both to converge the light rays onto an object surface that is to be measured, and to image light rays reflected from the object surface. An intermediate cylindrical lens set converges a strip of light rays imaged from the cylindrical objective lens to pass through an open elongated slit comprised in a second screen, and a color sensor receives light rays which have passed through the slit of the second screen for determining a plurality of wavelengths of the said strip of light rays, to thereby construct a height profile of at least a portion of the object surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: ASM Technology Singapore Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Jiangwen Deng, Zhuanyun Zhang, Fang Han Chen, Wui Fung Sze
  • Patent number: 8654353
    Abstract: A measuring method for topography of moving specimen and a measuring apparatus thereof is disclosed, providing a measuring module that moves along with a testing specimen to narrow relative velocity of the testing specimen and the measuring module so that the measuring module is able to have enough luminous intensity signal at the same position in time, to measure the topography or the thickness of the testing specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Shih-Hsuan Kuo, Wei-Cheng Wang
  • Patent number: 8654354
    Abstract: A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control tracker operation includes providing a rule of correspondence between commands and temporal patterns, and selecting by the user a first command. Also, projecting a first light from the tracker to the retroreflector, reflecting a second light from the retroreflector, the second light being a portion of the first light, obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light which is a portion of the second light, creating by the user, between first and second times, a first temporal pattern which includes a decrease in the third optical power followed by an increase in the third optical power, the first temporal pattern corresponding to the first command, determining the first command based on processing the first sensed data per the rule of correspondence and executing the first command with the tracker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Faro Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nils P. Steffensen, Todd P. Wilson, Kenneth Steffey, John M. Hoffer, Jr., Robert E. Bridges
  • Patent number: 8654355
    Abstract: A laser measurement system includes a laser tracker having a structure rotatable about first and second axes, a first light source that launches a light beam from the structure, a distance meter, first and second angular encoders that measure first and second angles of rotation about the first and second axes, respectively, a processor, and a camera system. Also, a communication device that includes a second light source and an operator-controlled device that controls emission of a light from the second light source; a retroreflector target not disposed on the communication device. Also, the camera system is operable to receive the second light and to convert it into a digital image, and the processor is operable to determine a command to control operation of the tracker based on a pattern of movement of the second light source between first and second times and the digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: FARO Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nils P. Steffensen, Kenneth Steffey, John M. Hoffer, Jr., Robert E. Bridges
  • Patent number: 8654356
    Abstract: Characterized by having a printer cover that is attached to a main unit and opens and closes; a contact member that contacts or separates from an installation surface according to the state of the printer relative to an installation surface on which the printer is placed; and a preventing member that does not prevent the opening or closing operation of the printer cover when the contact member contacts the installation surface, and prevents the opening or closing operation of the printer cover when the contact member separates from the installation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Maekawa, Masahiko Yamada
  • Patent number: 8654357
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a print instruction for printing a plurality of pages, a determination unit configured to determine whether a type of print paper designated by the print instruction is carbonless copy paper, and an assignment unit configured to assign to each of the plurality of pages, if the determination unit determines that the type of print paper designated by the print instruction is carbonless copy paper, carbonless copy paper with an attribute that corresponds to a position of each page within the plurality of pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuzo Harano
  • Patent number: 8654358
    Abstract: An image data processing device includes a plurality of image data treating units, a storing unit, and a setting unit. The plurality of image data treating units treats image data. The storing unit stores a plurality of conditions relating to a property of image data to be treated by each of the image data treating units. The setting unit is configured to set a condition in the storing unit to each of at least two of the image data treating units at a time. The conditions set to the at least two of the image data treating units is associated with one another so that the at least two of the image data treating units treat image data with same concept of processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriko Sugimoto, Tatsuya Sato
  • Patent number: 8654359
    Abstract: A selector selects one or more than one document files among those recorded in a memory, according to an instruction issued by a user, and a judgment portion judges whether by the simplified mode or the detailed mode the selected document file data should be outputted, according to an output condition that is determined in advance. And then, according to the judgment result, an output portion is controlled so that the selected document file could be outputted by the simplified mode or the detailed mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kaitaku Ozawa, Kei Shigehisa, Takeshi Morikawa, Toshimichi Iwai
  • Patent number: 8654360
    Abstract: A management apparatus has a determination unit which determines, from a plurality of logs included in the log information, a plurality of similar logs based on information included in the logs. The management apparatus also has a difference log generation unit which generates, from the information included in each log, a difference log having information in a smaller amount than in an original log for the plurality of logs determined to be similar by the determination unit. The log management unit manages, as logs based on one print request together, the plurality of logs determined to be similar by the determination unit, and manages, as the difference log generated by the difference log generation unit, some of the plurality of logs determined to be similar by the determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Manami Hatano
  • Patent number: 8654361
    Abstract: The time the control device of a small information device spends in an energy conservation mode is maximized to achieve low power consumption while stabilizing measurements. A measurement device that intermittently drives an LED to emit a detection beam and intermittently receives and measures the detection beam by means of a photodetector has a CPU that changes its own operating mode to a sleep mode in which the LED drive state is sustained for the time until the LED drive state stabilizes after driving the LED starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Yoshie
  • Patent number: 8654362
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for error correction in a parallel RIP environment. The system comprises parallel RIPs and a serial RIP. The system receives a print job comprising logical pages, separates the print job into segments of logical pages, and distributes the segments to the parallel RIPs for interpretation and rasterization. The system further determines that a parallel RIP has encountered an error indicating that a segment includes multiple logical pages, and instructs the serial RIP to rasterize the segment responsive to detecting the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: David Ward, Rivadeneira Randell, Arthur R. Roberts