Work Positioning Patents (Class 700/114)
  • Publication number: 20110245957
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. The batch processing system is configured to process an array of substrates positioned on a substrate carrier. The batch processing system includes a substrate transport interface that provides loading an unloading of the array of substrates in a production line environment. The substrate transport interface may include one or more of a substrate carrier cleaning module, a substrate carrier cooling module, and a substrate carrier buffer module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: KEITH B. PORTHOUSE, Tristan R. Holtam, Lisong Zhou, Vinay K. Shah, Damon K. Cox
  • Publication number: 20110231003
    Abstract: A method of producing a set of parts from a panel of material mountable on the worktable of a CNC machine suitably programmable to perform prescribed machining functions on such panel, generally consisting of programming the machine to perform a first set of machining functions on a first side of the panel and a second set of machining functions on an inverted side of the panel, mounting the panel on the worktable, operating the machine to perform the first set of machining functions on a first side of the panel, inverting the panel on the worktable and operating the machine to perform the second set of machine functions on the second, inverted side of the panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Susnjara
  • Patent number: 8024623
    Abstract: In a proximity communication system, transmit elements on one chip are aligned with receive elements on a second chip juxtaposed with the first chip. However, if the elements are misaligned, either statically or dynamically, the coupling between chips is degraded. The misalignment may be compensated by controllably degrading performance of the system. For example, the transmit signal strength may be increased. The bit period or the time period for biasing each bit may be increased, thereby decreasing the bandwidth. Multiple coupling elements, such as capacitors, may be ganged together, thereby decreasing the number of channels. The granularity of symbols, such as images, may be increased by decreasing the number of bits per symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Ho, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy, John E. Cunningham, Robert J. Drost
  • Patent number: 8019455
    Abstract: To provide a component mounting order optimizing method and a component mounting order optimizing apparatus by which it is easy to change a preparatory plan and it is possible to shorten time necessary for a change of substrates to be produced. An optimization program storage section 16 has a placement list preparing section 17 which obtains component placement data to be obtainable by a component information reading device 5 reading identification information of a component cassette, and prepares a component placement list in which identification information of component cassettes and positions which are loaded in a component supply section were associated, and a mounting order deciding section 18 which decides mounting order of components in such a state that an array of the component cassettes is fixed, on the basis of the component placement list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maenishi, Ikuo Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110218663
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a rotary mechanism for holding a semiconductor wafer and rotating the same, a detection mechanism for detecting a positioning cutout portion formed in the wafer, and a wafer transfer mechanism for lifting the wafer from a wafer mounting portion of the rotary mechanism or mounting the wafer on the same. The wafer transfer mechanism has a movable holding portion for holding the wafer at a position just above the wafer mounting portion and is constituted such that the movable holding portion moves up or down while avoiding the wafer held by the rotary mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8009896
    Abstract: A coplanarity inspection device for a printed circuit board includes a base, a supporting disk, a driver, a printed circuit board, a light source, an image acquisition means, and a controller. The supporting disk is arranged on the base, and the driver rotates the supporting disk. The printed circuit board is placed on the supporting disk, and includes a to-be measured side facing downward. The light source projects light beams on the to-be measured side of the printed circuit board. The image acquisition means aims at a specific area of the to-be measured side for image acquisition. The controller is to control the driver, and to store image taken by the image acquisition means. As such, the coplanarity inspection device for a printed circuit board can be employed to inspect whether the coplanarity of the printed circuit board satisfies the standard of setting values in a certain range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: King Yuan Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chiu-Fang Chang
  • Patent number: 8005563
    Abstract: A system automatically moves large scale components of a vehicle such as an airplane, into final assembly alignment. A noncontact measurement system determines the locations of aerodynamically significant features on each of the components. The measured locations of the components are used to control an automated jacking system that includes assembly jacks for individually moving the components into assembly alignment. A system is provided for calculating the cruise configuration of the vehicle “as-built” and for transferring the cruise configuration into the vehicle where it is recorded in the form of a physical monument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James M. Cobb, John G. Barnes, Alan K. Jones, Brian K. Sollenberger, Patrick B. Stone
  • Publication number: 20110196527
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for controlling the cutting of a first rip out of a first board and a second rip out of the first board or out of a second board. The system including a control module which provides instructions to stack and/or align the first board and the second board or the first rip and the second rip and instructions to process the first rip and the second rip simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Arnout De Lille, Bern De Lille
  • Publication number: 20110177461
    Abstract: A stage is driven (position control) using a hybrid signal which is obtained by synthesizing an output signal of an interferometer (an interferometer system) and an output signal of an encoder (an encoder system) that are made to pass through a high pass filter and a low pass filter, respectively. A cutoff frequency is set to a frequency corresponding to a speed slightly smaller than the speed of the stage at the time of scanning exposure. This allows the stage to be driven using an interferometer whose linear measurement is high at the time of scanning exposure, and using an encoder whose measurement reproducibility is high at the time of stepping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichi SHIBAZAKI, Akira OKUTOMI, Kazuhiro HIRANO
  • Patent number: 7979754
    Abstract: A method of testing a proximity communication system for voltage margin by impressing a voltage upon the data link between the transmitter on one chip and the receiver on the other chip coupled to the transmitter through a capacitively coupling circuit formed by juxtaposed capacitor pads on the respective two chips. The impressed voltage is varied and the output of the receiver is monitored to determine an operational voltage margin. The floating inputs on the receiver may be continuously biased by connecting them to variable biasing supply voltages through high impedances. When the floating inputs are periodically refreshed to a refresh voltage during a quiescent data period, the refresh voltage is varied between successive refresh cycles. The variable test voltage may be applied to transmitter output when it is in a high-impedance state, and the output of the receiver is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Drost, Ronald Ho, Justin M. Schauer
  • Patent number: 7957824
    Abstract: Method and system for providing volume manufacturing of customizable items including receiving a data package including a plurality of manufacturing parameters, each of the plurality of manufacturing parameters associated with a unique item, verifying the received data package, and implementing a manufacturing process associated with the received data package is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Artem Boronvinskih, Qinghui Lu, Maneesh Dhagat, Shiva P. Sambu, Evgeny Timofeyev, Dmitry Sultanov, Anton Spiridonov, Ivan Ionov, Sergey Nikolskiy, Vasily Ivanov, Alexey Vishnevskiy
  • Patent number: 7953509
    Abstract: In a control method for a power assist apparatus, a pressing force acting on a workpiece held by a workpiece holding apparatus is detected, a determination is made as to whether or not the detected pressing force exceeds a preset threshold, a determination is made as to whether or not a dead man switch provided on the workpiece holding apparatus is ON, and a determination as to whether or not to release a rotation restriction applied to a joint portion for connecting the workpiece holding apparatus rotatably to an arm is made in accordance with a result of the determination as to whether or not the detected pressing force exceeds the preset threshold and a result of the determination as to whether or not the dead mean switch is ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Murayama
  • Publication number: 20110104642
    Abstract: A jig device holding a work piece is used with a milling machine that cuts from the work piece a prosthesis having a surface essentially free of defects. The jig device is inserted repeatedly into the machine in the same predetermined location, even upon inverting the jig device. This maintains the spatial relationship between the jig device and milling so, at start up, they are always in the same exact spatial relationship. The milling machine partially cuts through a first side of the work piece to form in the work piece a cavity having a surface part corresponding to at least a portion of the prosthesis being made. The jig device is then removed from the machine, inverted and reinserted into the machine at the same predetermined location. A support material is placed in the cavity prior to reinserting the jig device. Upon reinserting the jig device, the machine precisely cuts through an opposed side of the work piece to form within the work piece a prosthesis having a surface essentially free of defects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Derrick Luksch, Christphorus Luksch
  • Publication number: 20110098839
    Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a decorative board, which board includes at least one thermosetting resin impregnated paper layer. A decor paper in the form of a web or a sheet, provided with a plurality of decor sections, each decor section being intended to constitute a décor of a decorative panel, is placed as a surface layer on a base layer and bonded thereto by pressing under elevated pressure. A plurality of press plates or press foils, each press plate or press foil being provided with a surface structure intended to match at least one decor section of the decor paper, are accurately positioned on top of the thermosetting impregnated paper layer before the pressing and is after the pressing separated from the laminate achieved. The laminate will hereby be provided with a décor surface with a matching surface structure which is in register with the décor of the decor paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Krister Hansson, Ake Sjoberg
  • Publication number: 20110098840
    Abstract: A problem that the present invention is to solve is to provide a parts mounting related work device which can prevent the occurrence of an unexpected operation failure and an erroneous stopping of the whole system which are attributed to an error in combination of working head and working equipment. A storage part (24c) stores combinations of types of working heads (H) and types of working equipment (E) which correspond to contents of work that is performed on a board (PB), and a determination part (24d) determines whether or not the combination of the type of the working head (H) which is currently detected by a head type detector and the type of the working equipment which is currently detected by an equipment type detector coincides with any of combinations stored in the storage part (24c).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuzuru Inaba, Osamu Okuda
  • Publication number: 20110087360
    Abstract: An industrial robot is used to assemble a part to a predetermined location on a randomly moving workpiece. The workpiece may be an automobile on an assembly line and the part may be a wheel (a tire mounted on a rim) to be assembled on one of the wheel hubs of the automobile. The robot has mounted on it a camera, a force sensor and a gripper to grip the part. After the robot grips the part, signals from both the force sensor and vision are used by a computing device to move the robot to a position where the robot can assemble the part to the predetermined location on the workpiece. The computing device can be the robot controller or a separate device such as a PC that is connected to the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Heping Chen, George Zhang, Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge
  • Patent number: 7917242
    Abstract: Illustrative computer-executable methods, systems, and computer software program products compute assembly jack locations to align parts for assembly. Initial locations of at least one component to be moved and a desired final location for the at least one component to be moved are determined from initial position measurement data for the at least one component to be moved and the final location. Motion to align the at least one component to be moved with the final location is automatically determined. Optimal displacements of assembly jacks to produce the determined motion are automatically determined. After movement, location of the at least one moved part at a final assembled position is automatically determined. If applicable, data regarding additional assembly jack displacement can be inputted, the determined optimal location for the at least one part to be moved can be adjusted, and additional motion due to additional assembly jack displacement can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Alan K. Jones
  • Publication number: 20110071662
    Abstract: A management method is able to quickly investigate the cause of a defect generated in a semiconductor product manufacturing process. Manufacturing conditions in various QFP manufacturing steps are stored in a main server while correlating them with an identification number of the QFP, and a two-dimensional bar code corresponding to the identification number is stamped to the surface of the QFP. In the event of occurrence of a defect of the QFP, the manufacturing conditions for the QFP stored in the main server can be traced in an instant by reading the two-dimensional bar code of the QFP and thereby specifying the identification number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kaoru Yokosawa
  • Publication number: 20110071663
    Abstract: A position control device 1 and a position control method of the present invention are a technology used in a shape memory alloy actuator for moving a movable member using a shape memory alloy member. In controlling the position of the movable member, an instruction value indicating a position of the movable member as a control target is changed to reduce the temperature of a shape memory alloy member when an amount of power supplied to the shape memory alloy member is in excess of a predetermined first threshold value. A drive device and an imaging device C of the present invention include a shape memory alloy actuator and the position control device 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Honda
  • Publication number: 20110065214
    Abstract: A process of forming three-dimensional (3D) die. A plurality of wafers are tested for die that pass (good die) or fail (bad die) predetermined test criteria. Two tested wafers are placed in proximity to each other. The wafers are aligned in such a manner so as to maximize the number of good die aligned between the two wafers. The two wafers are then bonded together and diced into individual stacks of bonded good die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mukta G. Farooq, Robert Hannon, Subramanian S. Iyer
  • Publication number: 20110054662
    Abstract: A stacked substrate separation loading apparatus includes: a stacked substrate holding holder configured to hold a stacked glass substrate; a cassette configured to load each sheet of glass substrates separated from the stacked glass substrate; a liquid tank in which the stacked substrate holding holder and the cassette are inserted in liquid; a stacked substrate drive unit configured to drive the stacked substrate holding holder; a stacked substrate positioning unit which positions a height position of the uppermost sheet of the stacked glass substrate; a cassette drive unit configured to drive the cassette; a substrate sliding mechanism configured to push out and separate the glass substrates which are the top sheets of the stacked glass substrate; and a cassette position control unit configured to control the cassette drive unit so that a height position of a loading position of the cassette becomes a height position of the glass substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomohiro HOSHINO, Takeshi Miyawaki, Haruo Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110046771
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for vacuum infusing resin into a fabric preform within a mold. The methods comprise increasing permeability in a selected region, such as by deploying a VIPR chamber in a location corresponding to the resin injection port corresponding to the resin flow front furthest from the mold vent or a location identified by predictive modeling as best to achieve a desired flow front geometry. Suitable apparatus comprise a VIPR chamber, an image detector for detecting resin flow fronts, a processor programmed to identify a desired location to deploy the VIPR chamber, and an automatic positioner for moving the VIPR chamber to the identified location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: University of Delaware
    Inventors: Justin B. Alms, James L. Glancey, Suresh G. Advani
  • Patent number: 7885723
    Abstract: Technology is provided for changing a mounting angle of a component to reduce the amount of relative displacement between a mounting head and a board. A component, for which a mounting angle can be changed, is specified based on information stored in a mounting data storage area and a component data storage area according to a predetermined component mounting order. A mounting time in a mounting path with the mounting angle of the specified component being changed is calculated for each mounting angle to specify the mounting path requiring the shortest mounting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Instruments Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Chida, Attila Lengyel, Ken Igarashi, Haruhiko Yamaguchi, Manabu Okamoto, Koichi Izuhara
  • Publication number: 20110022217
    Abstract: This object aims to provide a work mounting system which has an improved usability and can be miniaturized. A work mounting system (1) is used to mount a sunroof member (3) on the inner panel (2A) of a body (2). The work mounting system (1) comprises a conveying robot (4) for holding and conveying the sunroof member (3), a mounting robot (5) with a nut runner for tightening bolts and a CCD camera, and a controller (6) for controlling the conveying robot (4) and the mounting robot (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Asamizu
  • Publication number: 20110022218
    Abstract: Provided is a work measuring method by which a deviation quantity of a work measuring point from a reference position can be measured in a short time. A work surface is set as a reference point when the measuring point is positioned at the reference position, and a distance from a photographing device to a reference surface is set as a reference distance. A deviation quantity of the measurement point in a direction intersecting a photographing direction on the reference surface is measured by the photographing device, and a deviation quantity of the measuring point in the photographing direction is measured by a laser distance sensor. Then, based on the deviation quantity measured by the photographing device, the deviation quantity measured by the laser distance sensor, and the reference distance, a deviation quantity of the measuring point in a direction intersecting the photographing direction is calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Mitsugu Takahashi, Takafumi Murakoshi, Masaru Maruo, Atsushi Osada, Hidetoshi Takahashi, Takao Shibayama
  • Publication number: 20110022216
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for calibration of an industrial robot system including at least one robot (1) having a robot coordinate system (xr1,yr1,zr1) and a positioner (2) having a positioner coordinate system (xp,yp,zp) and adapted to hold and change the orientation of a workpiece by rotating it about a rotational axis. Target points for the robot are programmed with respect to an object coordinate system (xo1,yo1,zo1). The apparatus comprising a robot controller (3), at least three calibration objects (24a-c) arranged on the positioner, and a calibration tool (26) held by the robot. The positions of the calibration objects are known in the object coordinate system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventor: Björn E. Andersson
  • Patent number: 7873432
    Abstract: A position change section of a processing device changes the position of a treatment object, at the time of performing a process by a process section, to correspond to a predetermined position in conformity to the treatment object. An inspection device inspects the occurrence of a defect on the treatment object having been subjected to processes by a plurality of processing devices. Then an analyzing process for specifying in which processing device the defect occurred is carried out based on (i) positional information of the treatment object, in each of the processing devices, and (ii) defect information defected by the inspection device. With this arrangement, during the process of manufacture of treatment objects, it is possible to precisely specify which processing device or processing device group caused the defect, without performing processes such as attaching, to the treatment object, information regarding processing devices which have conducted processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ohminami, Masaru Tanaka, Takeshi Umemoto
  • Patent number: 7869895
    Abstract: Illustrative computer-executable methods, systems, and computer software program products compute orientation alignment transfer tool location. Orientation of at least one aerodynamically significant feature of an as-built airplane is automatically determined. Orientation of an orientation monument for the as-built airplane is automatically determined from the determined orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane, and motion to align an orientation alignment transfer tool with the determined orientation of the orientation monument is automatically determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Alan K. Jones
  • Patent number: 7859655
    Abstract: A first method determines a position of a point of interest on a target object surface in a target object coordinate system using orientation and distance measurements of a pointing instrument in an instrument coordinate system. A second method determines an orientation of a pointing instrument in an instrument coordinate system for the instrument to be aligned with a point of interest on a target object surface having a target object coordinate system, wherein a position of the point of interest in the target object coordinate system is known. A third method controls orientation of a laser beam of a laser in an instrument coordinate system for the laser beam to trace an image on a target object surface having a target object coordinate system, wherein positions of points for the image on the surface of the target object in the target object coordinate system are known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James J. Troy, Scott W. Lea, Gary E. Georgeson, Jeffrey M. Hansen
  • Patent number: 7860601
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for quickly characterizing the profile of a surface of a processed workpiece using a non-contact scanner, such as a laser scanner, in preparation for subsequent machining. The method determines the location of a plurality of features of a processed workpiece on a machine tool, and includes steps of reading a first list of approximate feature locations, defining a scan path based on the first list, scanning a profile of the workpiece along the scan path and calculating an actual location of each feature of the plurality of features based on the profile. The system and method are well suited to determine the location of features such as holes in welder header boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Quickmill, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Piggott, Andy Chik Hung Wong
  • Patent number: 7848832
    Abstract: To be able to restrain a height of a machine even when the machine is large-sized and smoothly move a table in XY? directions. An alignment apparatus includes two translational freedom degree guide portion (13), one rotational freedom degree guide portion (12), a translational drive/translational/rotational freedom degree mechanism module (6) including a linear motor provided at one of the translational freedom degree guide portion (13), a machine base portion (7), a reference generator portion (8), a two-dimensional position sensor (9), a calculating portion of compensation value (10). At least three of the translational drive/translational/rotational freedom degree mechanism modules (6) are uniformly arranged to a table (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Takehiko Komiya, Toshiyuki Osuga, Toshihiro Sawa
  • Patent number: 7848833
    Abstract: A flexible/adjustable fixing system (100) for fixing a workpiece (40) includes an information management module (10), a plurality of driving devices (20), and a positioning device (30). The information management module receives and processes the position information of the workpiece. The driving devices electronically couple with the information management module. The positioning device includes a platform (31) and a plurality of positioning pins (32). One end of the workpiece is positioned in a certain area of the platform. Each respective pin is attached to a corresponding driving device. When the driving device receives an order/signal from the information management module, the positioning pin is selectably driven relative to (e.g., toward, away from) the workpiece by the driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., FIH (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventors: Lei Li, Ping Chen, Zhi Cheng, Xue-Liang Zhai, Chang-Fa Sun, Lin-Sen Dong
  • Publication number: 20100298966
    Abstract: A substrate processing system 1 comprises a first detecting part 40 configured to detect unprocessed wafers W, and a second detecting part 50 configured to detect processed wafers W. The first detecting part 40 is configured to detect whether the unprocessed wafers W are respectively accommodated in respective accommodating portions 82 of a container 80 or not, and to detect accommodated conditions of the respective unprocessed wafers W accommodated in the respective accommodating portions 82. The second detecting part 50 is configured to collectively detect whether the processed wafers W are respectively accommodated in the respective accommodating portions 82 of the container 80.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yuichi TANAKA
  • Patent number: 7840300
    Abstract: The subject invention pertains to an apparatus and method for collecting 2-D data slices of a specimen. Embodiments can incorporate a lapidary platen and an image recording system to image a specimen. The lapidary wheel platen can provide an imaging plane such that an image can be taken as the lapidary wheel platen abrades a surface of the specimen. A specimen mount can maintain the surface of the specimen properly aligned in the image plane. The imaging system can be a continuous recording system such as a video camera, a discrete recording system such as a flatbed scanner, or combinations of continuous and discrete recording systems to simultaneously collect two distinct data sets. The 2-D data set(s) can then be processed to create intricate 3-D color models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Inventor: Robert Arthur Harker
  • Publication number: 20100292828
    Abstract: Apparatus, method, and system for combining a plurality of items into a batch having a set number of items. Number of items are put together onto a production line to form a batch along with non-batch items which are not suitable for inclusion within the batch onto the production line. The batch is advanced on the production line as a partial batch without the non-batch item being added to it when a batch is not complete. A reminder batch is created after the non-batch items have been added to the production line and the remainder batch includes the number of items that must be added to the partial batch to make a full batch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: MAREL FOOD SYSTEM HF
    Inventors: Hordur Einarsson, Arni Einarsson, Hrafnkell Eiriksson
  • Patent number: 7818863
    Abstract: A window glass can be accurately and preferably mounted by correcting a displacement of a curved surface shape of the window glass in the crosswise direction even when there is a displacement of the curved surface shape of the window glass in the crosswise direction. A slit laser beam is irradiated with from slit laser beam irradiators 12c and 12d across the right and left ends of the window glass 6, the circumference of a window glass mounting opening 8, and a windshield pillar section 11; rotation adjustment of the window glass 6 is performed, based on a processed image obtained by image processing of images, which have been photographed with a CCD cameras 10c and 10d, of the slit laser beams, in such a way that clearances in the pressing direction at the right and left ends of the window glass 6 are the same as each other; and the window glass 6 is pressed onto a window glass mounting surface on the circumference of the window glass mounting opening 8 for mounting onto the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichiro Maekawa, Toshihisa Shimoda, Kenji Kusumegi, Takafumi Murakoshi
  • Publication number: 20100268371
    Abstract: The invention provides a machining tool capable of improving work production efficiency and downsizing the whole machine. In the machining tool having a plurality of spindles 111 and a plurality of tool rests 120, the respective tool rests 120 are disposed on the side of the end surface of the spindles 111, a workpiece holding means 130 is provided at least on one of the neighboring two tool rests 120, a moving range of the tool rest 120 having the workpiece holding means 130 is set so as to include position where the both spindles 111 face to the workpiece holding means 130, a moving range of the tool rest 120 corresponding to the neighboring spindle 111 described above is set so that at least part thereof overlaps with the moving range of the tool rest 120 and so that it is slidably moved to position for avoiding the tool rests 120 from abutting from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kasuya
  • Publication number: 20100265487
    Abstract: A positioning system for a lithographic apparatus including a control system to position a moveable object of the lithographic apparatus in at least one direction which is substantially parallel to a frame, the control system including a measurement system to measure a position of the moveable object, an actuator to apply a force to the moveable object, and a controller to provide a drive signal to the actuator based on an output of the measurement system; and an emergency brake system configured to determine a failure of the control system, and if the failure is determined disable the control system and pull the moveable object against the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventor: Erik Marie José SMEETS
  • Patent number: 7809465
    Abstract: Soldering can be performed in a state where the temperature in an object zone is stable, regardless of the heat capacity of a soldering object. A soldering device includes: a position calculation unit which calculates the position of a heated object according to operational information of a conveyer which sequentially transfers the heated object into a plurality of zones for heat processing communicated with each other; a heat capacity calculation unit which calculates the heat capacity of the heated object; and a temperature management unit which controls the temperature in an object zone into which the heated object is carried, upon receiving positional information from the position calculation unit. The temperature management unit feedforward-controls the temperature in the object zone by adjusting the heat capacity of the object zone according to the heat capacity calculated by the heat capacity calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignees: Tamura Corporation, Tamura Fa System Corporation
    Inventors: Takahito Yamaguchi, Kiyoshi Dohzono
  • Publication number: 20100234974
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing a first machine of a manufacturing process section arranged to carry out a production cycle including a working part and a non-working part. The first machine is operated in conjunction with at least one second machine. The first machine carries out a process during the working part of the cycle on a workpiece that is loaded into and/or unloaded out of the first machine by the at least one second machine during the non-working part of each process cycle. Also, a system for carrying out the method and a computer program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventor: Sjoerd Bosga
  • Publication number: 20100228374
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus and a method for processing semiconductor substrates are provided. The method may include providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface and a plurality of features on the surface, each feature being positioned on the surface at a first respective point in a first coordinate system, plotting the position of each feature at a second respective point in a second coordinate system; and generating a translation between the first and the second coordinate systems. The generating of the translation may include calculating an offset between the first and the second coordinate systems. The calculating of the offset may include calculating an offset distance between a reference point of the first coordinate system and a reference point of the second coordinate system and calculating an offset angle between an axis of the first coordinate system and an axis of the second coordinate system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Inventor: Alger C. Pike
  • Publication number: 20100228371
    Abstract: It is intended to achieve a high level of positioning accuracy for a substrate assuming a two-layer structure constituted with a transparent layer with a high level of light transmissivity and a nontransparent layer with a low level of light transmissivity. A substrate positioning device according to the present invention characterized in that only the edge of the nontransparent layer, not the edge of the transparent layer, is exclusively detected and the substrate is positioned based upon the detection results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara TOKIDA
  • Publication number: 20100228375
    Abstract: A preparation device (1) for preparing an ophthalmic lens to be machined, includes a support (100) suitable for holding the ophthalmic lens, blocking elements (400) including at least one blocking accessory (450) and a manipulator arm (401) for manipulating the blocking accessory, an acquisition device (200) suitable for acquiring an image of the ophthalmic lens, electronic and/or computer processor elements (700) suitable firstly for deducing an optical frame of reference of the ophthalmic lens, and secondly for controlling the position of the manipulator arm and/or of the support to apply the blocking accessory against the ophthalmic lens in a given blocking position. The blocking elements and/or the support include at least one marker element and the electronic and/or computer processor elements are adapted to identify the position of the marker element in an image acquired by the acquisition device, in which image there appears an image of the marker element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D'OPTIQUE)
    Inventors: Bernard Brechemier, Stephane Boutinon, Konogan Baranton
  • Publication number: 20100228379
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an exposure mask includes generating or preparing flatness variation data relating to a mask blanks substrate to be processed into an exposure mask, the flatness variation data being data relating to change of flatness of the mask blank substrate caused when the mask blank substrate is chucked by a chuck unit of an exposure apparatus, generating position correction, data of a pattern to be drawn on the mask blanks substrate based on the flatness variation data such that a mask pattern of the exposure mask comes to a predetermined position in a state that the exposure mask is chucked by the chuck unit, and drawing a pattern on the mask blanks substrate, the drawing the pattern including drawing the pattern with correcting a drawing position of the pattern and inputting drawing data corresponding to the pattern and the position correction data into a drawing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Masamitsu Itoh
  • Patent number: 7792602
    Abstract: A material processing system includes an apparatus having a processing path. A saw station is located along the processing path. A positioner is configured to push a trailing end of a work piece along the processing path toward the saw station. A computer is connected to the apparatus, and programmed to provide a digital interface allowing an operator to control operation of the apparatus through the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Precision Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Spencer B. Dick
  • Publication number: 20100211206
    Abstract: A measurement system that includes an industrial machine and an interferometer can detect when abnormality has occurred in measurement targeted at a reflector attached to a movable body, for example, in a case where the movable body has moved too close to the interferometer. A judging section of the interferometer judges that there is abnormality in measurement targeted at the reflector on the basis of a received-light signal. Upon such an abnormality judgment, a stop command outputting section of the interferometer outputs a stop command to the industrial machine. A stopping section of the industrial machine stops the driving operation of a moving mechanism upon receiving an input of the stop command, thereby stopping the movement of the movable body. The measurement system makes it possible to prevent the industrial machine, which includes the movable body and the moving mechanism, from colliding with the interferometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayuki Nara
  • Patent number: 7774083
    Abstract: Methods and systems for position sensing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes measuring at least three discrete point positions associated with a first component using at least one transmitter having a known position and orientation and in a line of sight with the three discrete point positions, the three discrete point positions having known distances relative to one another. The method computes a current position and orientation of the first component using data provided by the at least one transmitter and the three discrete point positions, along with position and orientation data from a last known location of the first component assuming that no sudden position changes since the first component has moved from the last known location. The first and second components may be a workpiece and a tool that performs a manufacturing operation on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Philip L. Freeman, John R. Dworschak, Joseph C. Marsh
  • Publication number: 20100198385
    Abstract: Techniques to manage position information of parts such that, if discrepancy of the parts occurs, the discrepancy can be detected and corrected while the advantages of using the constraint conditions can be offered. In one embodiment, when an input unit receives information of an icon click, a receiving section receives the information of the click, and a saving section saves the position and the angle of geographic data indicating the three-dimensional geometry of the part as absolute-position information calculated with reference to the absolute origin into the storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Matsushita, Shinsuke Noda
  • Publication number: 20100198388
    Abstract: A production plant, particularly for suitcases and trunks, such suitcases and trunks comprising at least two half-shells mutually associated so as to form at least one internal containment compartment. The plant comprises: at least one station for loading at least one half-shell; at least one work island which has at least one dispenser of perimetric gasket seals; at least one storage area for the half-shells; at least one centre for mating the half-shells, so as to form substantially the finished product, such as a suitcase and a trunk; at least one station for unloading the finished product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventor: Massimo Tonelli
  • Publication number: 20100191362
    Abstract: A coating and developing apparatus includes: a delivery mounting unit on which a carrier housing a plurality of substrates is to be mounted and the carrier being accessed by a delivery mechanism; a plurality of retreat mounting units on which the carriers are to be mounted; a carrier carry mechanism moving and mounting the carriers between the retreat mounting units and the delivery mounting unit; a collection schedule creating function determining a collection order for collecting the substrates placed in modules into original carriers in which the substrates were housed, when a trouble occurs; and a carry control unit controlling to carry the substrates to the carriers in which the substrates were housed according to the determined collection order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Wataru Tsukinoki