Optics: measuring and testing inventions 03/08

20080074636 - Electro-optical distance measuring method, distance measuring program and distance measuring device: An electro-optical distance measuring method for measuring a distance to an object to be measured by receiving a reflected light from the object to be measured, comprising: a step of projecting a pulsed laser beam with a predetermined spreading angle so as to include two or more objects to be... Agent: Nields & Lemack

20080074637 - Laser scanner: A laser scanner, comprising a mirror rotatably provided, a driving unit for rotating the mirror, a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light for scanning to a measurement range via the mirror and for obtaining a position data by receiving the reflected distance measuring light via the mirror,... Agent: Nields & Lemack

20080074638 - Measuring system: The present invention provides a measuring system, which comprises a surveying device installed at a known point, at least one photodetection device to be installed at a measuring point, and a main arithmetic device; wherein the surveying device projects by rotary irradiation a reference plane forming laser beam including two... Agent: Nields & Lemack

20080074639 - Passive determination of ground target location: Ground targets can be passively identified on uneven terrain from an observation point elevation above a known reference point, a line-of-sight inclination angle, an azimuth angle and a digital terrain elevation database wherein actual elevations of surrounding latitude and longitude coordinates are stored and retrievable. Using the observation point's elevation... Agent: Patti, Hewitt & Arezina LLC

20080074673 - Photonic crystal based rotation sensor: A gyroscope having photonic crystals for sensing rotation uses the Sagnac effect to determine angular motion. The gyroscope comprises a photonic crystal capable of guiding counter-propagating light beams in a closed path. A light source, coupling, and detection apparatus permits detection of phase changes between the counter-propagating beams, thereby permitting... Agent: Albin H. Gess, Esq. Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.

20080074674 - Sensor for measuring a vibrating surface obscured from view: Described are a sensor and a method for measuring a vibration of a surface obscured from view. The sensor includes a narrowband source of a terahertz beam, a beamsplitter, a beam combiner and a terahertz detector. The beamsplitter splits the terahertz beam into a sample beam for irradiating the surface... Agent: Guerin & Rodriguez, LLP

20080074675 - Flying height resolution improvement method: A flying height tester used to measure the flying height of a head of a hard disk drive. The flying height tester includes a transparent substrate that has an index of refraction greater than 1.5. Utilizing a substrate with an index of refraction no greater than 1.5 improves the flying... Agent: Irell & Manella LLP

20080074676 - Optical fiber inspection device: The present invention provides an inspection system for inspecting a surface of an optical specimen. The inspection system includes an optical testing device having a main body and an optical axis. The optical testing device includes an optical imaging system housed in the main body. The optical imaging system includes... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.A.

20080068583 - Signal processing circuit for optical encoder: A signal processing circuit for optical encoder, including: a plurality of photodiodes for detecting light in different phase; IV conversion circuits for providing outputs by converting photo currents outputted from a current output terminal of each photodiode respectively into voltage signals; differential amplification circuits for amplifying difference between the output... Agent: Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP

20080068585 - Pulse light receiving time measurement apparatus and distance measurement including the same: A pulse light receiving time measurement apparatus according to the present invention includes a light receiving element receiving reflected pulse light from an object to be measured; a pulse light receiving time measurement circuit measuring a time when pulse light is irradiated to the object and a time when the... Agent: Chapman And Cutler

20080068587 - Surface defect detection method and surface defect inspection apparatus: A surface defect detection method and a surface defect inspection apparatus are provided having a function of inspecting only the defects and foreign particles on the surface regardless of whether or not there are internal defects, internal foreign particles, or internal light scattering particles, even if the inspection target material... Agent: Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.

20080068590 - Method for the certification of heater blankets by means of infrared thermography: Method for the certification of heater blankets by means of infrared thermography, in which a heater blanket (1) to be certified is enclosed in a vacuum bag (3,4,5,5′,8,9,10) arranged above a support (2) and thermally insulated therefrom, the vacuum is formed inside said bag and said heater blanket is connected... Agent: Ladas & Parry

20080068584 - Distance measuring apparatus: There is provided a distance measuring apparatus, which can attain a distance compensation of a high precision and can be stably operated by using a cheap circuit, without any arrival at a supersaturated state for a great reflected light intensity, while a gain of an amplifying circuit is made higher,... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080068586 - Distributed optical fiber sensor: A distributed optical fiber sensor uses a Brillouin scattering phenomenon to avoid manual adjustment and to measure strain and/or temperature with high accuracy and high spatial resolution. A stepwise optical light source generates an optical pulse having a stepwise distribution of intensity to increase toward the center, and a continuous... Agent: Casella & Hespos

20080068588 - Optical microscopy with phototransformable optical labels: A method of imaging with an optical system characterized by a diffraction-limited resolution volume is disclosed. In a sample that includes a plurality of phototransformable optical labels (“PTOLs”) distributed in the sample with a density greater than an inverse of the diffraction-limited resolution volume of the optical system, a first... Agent: Brake Hughes Bellermann LLP

20080068589 - Optical microscopy with phototransformable optical labels: Spatially-structured activation radiation having relatively high- and low-intensity regions is provided to a sample that includes phototransformable optical labels (“PTOLs”). A subset of the PTOLs located predominately at relatively high intensity regions of the spatially-structured activation radiation is activated. Spatially-structured excitation radiation is provided to the activated PTOLs, and the... Agent: Brake Hughes Bellermann LLP

20080068591 - Personal identification system: A personal identification system, which uses a vein pattern of a finger, optimizes the amount of light of a light source based on a captured finger image and emphasizes the vein pattern during image processing for identification.... Agent: Reed Smith LLP Suite 1400

20080068593 - Method and apparatus for detecting defects: A defect detecting apparatus for detecting defects on a substrate sample (wafer) having circuit patterns such as interconnections. The defect detecting apparatus is provided with stages that can be moved arbitrarily in each of the X, Y, Z, and θ directions in a state that the substrate sample is mounted... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20080068592 - Optical element for measuring biological information and biological information measuring device using the optical element: An optical element for measuring biological information and a biological information measuring device which can measure a plurality of optical parameters related to biological information are provided. In an optical element for measuring biological information in which information of an organism is measured by applying light to the organism and... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20080068594 - Method for measuring non-circularity at core portion of optical fiber parent material: A method for measuring non-circularity of a core portion of an optical fiber base material includes a distribution measuring step of (i) moving the optical fiber base material in a direction parallel to a central axis of the core portion while light is irradiated, in a direction perpendicular to the... Agent: Mcginn Intellectual Property Law Group, PLLC

20080068595 - Measurement method, exposure method, and device manufacturing method: Light is irradiated on a light-shielding pattern on an object surface side of a projection optical system and light intensity distribution of the light having passed through the projection optical system and slits is detected while slits of an aerial image measuring unit on the image plane side of the... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080068596 - Sensor unit and optical sensor for a scanning device: A sensor unit is provided that includes a light-sensitive semiconductor element, which has at least one light-sensitive area, disposed in particular beneath a light-transmitting cover layer, and a flat contacting unit, which is placed electrically conductive on contact areas of the semiconductor element and is provided with at least one... Agent: Mg-ip Law, PLLC

20080068597 - Method of calibrating monochromatic light beams outputted by light emitting diodes and related light emitting diode control system: To control chroma and brightness in a backlight module, a plurality of reference values of a plurality of monochromatic light beams are provided, and a brightness reference value is provided for the light formed of the monochromatic light beams. Then, a plurality of first light signals of the monochromatic light... Agent: North America Intellectual Property Corporation

20080068598 - Grating photometer: The present invention provides a grating photometer comprising a light splitting box a preamplifier box, a photodiode array and optical assembly. The light splitting box has a light splitting chamber. There are provided a first extinction hole and second extinction hole respectively on the side wall of the light splitting... Agent: Beyer Weaver LLP

20080068599 - Method for optimizing the image properties of at least two optical elements as well as methods for optimizing the image properties of at least three optical elements: In order to optimize the image properties of several optical elements of which at least one is moved relative to at least one stationary optical element, the overall image defect resulting from the interaction of all optical elements is first of all measured. This is represented as a linear combination... Agent: Factor & Lake, Ltd

20080068600 - Optically measuring interior cavities: A method of measuring the three-dimensional volume or perimeter shape of an interior cavity includes the steps of collecting a first optical slice of data that represents a partial volume or perimeter shape of the interior cavity, collecting additional optical slices of data that represents a partial volume or perimeter... Agent: Eddie E. Scott Assistant Laboratory Counsel

20080068601 - Manhole modeler: Methods and apparatuses for inspecting manholes or other voids and collecting data in a comprehensive, repeatable, and measurable manner. A sensor head is suspended and lowered into a manhole or other void. The sensor head collects data related to the condition of the manhole or void walls, and locations of... Agent: Reed Smith LLP

20080068603 - Anti-vibration apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An anti-vibration apparatus includes a target object, a reference object, a measuring device which measures the position of the target object relative to the reference object, a driving mechanism to drive the target object based on the measurement result obtained by the measuring device, a Lorentz's force actuator which supports... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080068602 - Device for reading plates bearing biological reaction support microdepositions: The invention concerns a device for reading slides bearing fluorescent deposits, such as used in serology or molecular biology analysis. The invention also concerns any apparatus comprising such a device, specific implementing software, as well as the use of said apparatuses and/or devices in analytical or diagnostic methods.... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC

20080068604 - Device and method for inspecting a hair sample: A device for inspecting a hair sample. The device comprises a measuring area configured to accommodate a hair sample and an imaging unit for receiving light flux reflected from the measuring area. The imaging unit outputs an image of the hair sample located in the measuring area. The device further... Agent: Martin D. Moynihan Prtsi, Inc.

20080068605 - Method and apparatus for simultaneously measuring a three dimensional position of a particle in a flow: Particle detection systems without knowledge of a location and velocity of a particle passing through a volume of space, are less efficient than if knowledge of the particle location is known. An embodiment of a particle position detection system capable of determining an exact location of a particle in a... Agent: Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C.

20080068607 - Measuring polarization mode dispersion: A device for measuring polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in a device under test (DUT) includes a polarized light source for launching a test beam through the DUT, and a PMD analyzer, which uses one of a plurality of known techniques, e.g. fixed analyzer-Fourier transform (FA-FT) or interferometric, to calculate the... Agent: Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist P.A.

20080068606 - Method and apparatus for detecting pressure distribution in fluids: A pressure sensing apparatus has a light source for transmitting pulses of light along a monomode optical fibre. The polarisation of light backscattered from the light pulses in the optical fibre is detected by a polarisation processing unit (PPU) and a photo detector. The optical fibre is adapted to deform... Agent: Needle & Rosenberg, P.C.

20080068608 - Shape measurement method and shape measurement apparatus: A shape measurement method for measuring a shape of an object to be measured, which has a substantially rotating symmetric shape, includes: placing an aperture having an opening larger than an outer shape of the object to be measured and the object to be measured on an optical axis; taking... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080068609 - Inspection apparatus, an apparatus for projecting an image and a method of measuring a property of a substrate: When using a scatterometer different portions of a target area may be at different focal depths. When the whole area is measured this results in part of it being out of focus. To compensate for this an array of lenses is placed in the back focal plane of the high... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080068610 - Alignment apparatus and alignment method: An adjusting unit for making positional adjustment of the optical axis adjustment mask, based on the observation by the one optical unit, such that the reference mark at the one location or the other location and the optical axis adjusting alignment mark corresponding positionally thereto are superposed, and for making... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080068611 - Method and system for measuring patterned structures: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first... Agent: Browdy And Neimark, P.l.l.c. 624 Ninth Street, Nw

20080068612 - Fourier-transform spectrometers: A novel tilt-insensitive interferometer geometry is described. The design uses tilt-insensitive optics to simultaneously maintain high throughput and precise interferometric alignment, even in the presence of non-ideal scanning motions. A variety of enhancements to the basic design are described, providing a family of related interferometer designs. These spectrometers have applications... Agent: Christopher Manning

20080068613 - Scanning interferometric methods and apparatus for measuring aspheric surfaces and wavefronts: Interferometric scanning method(s) and apparatus for measuring test optics having aspherical surfaces including those with large departures from spherical. A reference wavefront is generated from a known origin along a scanning axis. A test optic is aligned on the scanning axis and selectively moved along it relative to the known... Agent: Francis J. Caufield

20080068614 - Methods and systems for interferometric analysis of surfaces and related applications: A method for determining a spatial property of an object includes obtaining a scanning low coherence interference signal from a measurement object that includes two or more interfaces. The scanning low coherence interference signal includes two or more overlapping low coherence interference signals, each of which results from a respective... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080068615 - Improved method for biomolecular detection and system thereof: A method of sensing at least one target on a receptor having a substrate and a translucent coating includes minimizing interference fringe patterns in an image of the target. The method also includes passing the image of the target through an imaging system intermediate the receptor and a detector.... Agent: Stephen B. Salai, Esq. Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP

20080068616 - Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing method: In target shape reconstruction, in order to determine efficiently and quickly the profile of complex targets on a substrate, the various degrees of freedom or variable parameters of the various shapes of which a single profile is made up can be reduced by linking together the variable parameters using simple... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080068617 - Fast 3d height measurement method and system: The present invention provides a Fast Moiré Interferometry (FMI) method and system for measuring the dimensions of a 3D object using only two images thereof. The method and the system perform the height mapping of the object or the height mapping of a portion of the object. The present invention... Agent: Bereskin And Parr

20080068618 - Method for detecting the center of wafer and storage medium storing a program for executing the method: A method detects a center of a wafer having a notch when aligning the wafer mounted on a movable mounting table. The method includes capturing an image of the wafer by using an imaging unit, the image including the notch; extracting an edge line from the image of the wafer;... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080068619 - Optical device for measuring the thickness of an at least partially transparent medium: The inventive optical device for measuring the thickness of a medium which is at least partially transparent for an incident beam and covers a second medium comprises a laser for generating the light incident beam in such a way that a beam reflected by the first medium surface and a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080068620 - Method for measuring the sagging of a glass panel: A method for measuring the sagging of a glass panel in the process of bending the glass panel on a ring mould. The method includes measuring the sagging at a glass panel's measuring point and the measurement data is applied to control progress of the bending process, especially heating of... Agent: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC

20080062401 - Spectroscopic system with multiple probes: The present invention provides a spectroscopic system for non invasive spectral analysis of substances or biological structures (114, 116) that are located in a plurality of various volumes of interest (110, 112). The inventive spectroscopic system makes use of a multiplicity of various probe heads (106, 108) that are connected... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20080062402 - Optical device for biometric capture by contact and system using said device: An optical device for biometric sensing by contact, comprising: an optical element (2) having a face (3) constituting a surface for apposition of a body part from which a biometric characteristic is to be sensed; a radiation source (6) for illuminating the face (3) of the optical element; and sensor... Agent: Stites & Harbison PLLC

20080062404 - Radiant-temperature measurement device, light-source temperature control device, image projection apparatus and radiant-temperature measurement method: By including a main detection unit 51 for measuring, with respect to light from the temperature-measuring object onto which the stray light is added, variation in light intensity versus time in two wavelength bands, and a subordinate detection unit 52 for measuring variation in stray-light intensity versus time only, a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080062408 - Detection system for identifying faults in passive optical networks: A detection system that performs in a passive optical network is disclosed. The detection system uses a central office to provide detection signals to corresponding fiber branches for obtaining different reflected signals based on different optical network models. Hence, the central office can determine whether fiber branches in the passive... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20080062407 - Method and apparatus for increasing the security of the physical fiber plant by polarization monitoring: A method and system for detecting intrusions on a fiber optic network. The method and system monitors polarization variations of light being transmitted in the fiber optic network. It then determines intrusions in the fiber optic network based on the polarization variations. The polarization variations are then compared to a... Agent: At&t Corp.

20080062400 - Optical element for measuring bioinformation and bioinformation measuring device using the same: To achieve a reliable and easy measurement of a concentration of a target component in an organism, in an optical element including: a first light-entrance plane, a body tissue contact-plane provided with a groove portion to be brought into contact with a body tissue, and a first light-exit plane; the... Agent: Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher, LLP

20080062403 - Transmission fluid concentration detector: A transmission fluid concentration detector for detecting the fluid concentration in a fluid circulating device is provided, comprises a light-sensing device that consists of at least a light sensor for converting an optical signal into an electrical signals wherein the electrical signal is a signal output by the light sensor... Agent: G. Link Co., Ltd.

20080062405 - Compensation of effects of atmospheric perturbations in optical metrology: In general, in a first aspect, the invention features a method that includes using an interferometry assembly to provide three different output beams, each output beam including an interferometric phase related to an optical path difference between a corresponding first beam and a corresponding second beam, each first beam contacting... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080062406 - Method and system for measuring patterned structures: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first... Agent: Browdy And Neimark, P.l.l.c. 624 Ninth Street, Nw

20080062409 - Image processing device for detecting chromatic difference of magnification from raw data, image processing program, and electronic camera: An image processing device has an input section and a detecting section. The input section receives RAW data composed of color components arranged in each pixel in a predetermined pattern. The detecting section detects the color shift amount by calculating the correlation between two color components included in the RAW... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080062410 - Method and apparatus for locally measuring refractive characteristics of a lens in one or several specific points of said lens: The measurement apparatus includes: a support arranged to receive a lens; lighting element including an optical system for generating a collimated light beam directed towards the lens under measurement installed on the support; detachment elements for detaching light rays from the light beam, for detaching a localized group of at... Agent: Young & Thompson

20080062411 - Measurement of test object with stacked features: An apparatus and associated method for measuring spatial characteristics of a test object with stacked features. First and second measurement assemblies for measuring opposing first and second planar features, respectively, of a test object, by directing light beams into a gap between the features to measure a position and a... Agent: Fellers, Snider, Blankenship, Bailey & Tippens Suite 1700

20080062412 - Method and system for identifying hostile missile launch locations: A method for identifying hostile missile launch locations is disclosed. In response to a receipt of a message containing information regarding a hostile missile had been launched at an aircraft, a determination is made as to whether or not a tail number contained within the message is a valid tail... Agent: Dillon & Yudell LLP

20080062413 - Apparatus and method for characterizing a light source: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for characterizing the photometric and/or colourmetric properties of a light source. The apparatus comprises a detector system which generates data indicative of at least spectroradiometric data for at least a portion of the light emitted by the light source. The apparatus further... Agent: Saliwanchik Lloyd & Saliwanchik A Professional Association

20080062414 - System and method for haze control in semiconductor processes: A method for haze control on a semiconductor reticle, the method including performing a reticle inspection of a semiconductor reticle to detect haze formation on a periodic basis, performing a wafer inspection to detect haze defects, forecasting haze formation, and cleaning the semiconductor reticle. Also included is a haze forecasting... Agent: Docket Clerk

20080062415 - Method of optically inspecting and visualizing optical measuring values obtained from disk-like objects: A method of visualizing measuring values from recorded images of disk-like objects is disclosed. First an image is recorded of at least one disk-like object, and a great number of measuring values is generated. Each measuring value is associated with a color value. Finally a resulting image is generated wherein... Agent: Davidson, Davidson & Kappel, LLC

20080062416 - Optoelectronic process and a device for inspection of an area of revolution of a receptacle: The illumination is over at least three angular sectors, each emitting a given radiation spectrum that is separate from all the spectra of the other sectors. Only the light rays returned by the surface to be inspected are selected and one of the said given radiation spectra are presented to... Agent: Clark & Brody

20080062417 - Compositions and methods for the detection of water treatment polymers: Compositions and methods utilizing Raman Spectroscopy to detect and determine, directly or indirectly, the concentration of water treatment polymers in water or methods for measuring or quantifying the amount of water treatment polymer in a sample, such as an industrial, commercial, or municipal water sample, are provided. The compositions contain... Agent: John S. Pratt, Esq Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP

20080062418 - Guided-mode resonance sensors employing angular, spectral, modal, and polarization diversity for high-precision sensing in compact formats: A guided mode resonance (GMR) sensor assembly and system are provided. The GMR sensor includes a waveguide structure configured for operation at or near one or more leaky modes, a receiver for input light from a source of light onto the waveguide structure to cause one or more leaky TE... Agent: Carr LLP

20080062419 - Control station for a printing press: A control station for a printing press, includes at least one true color monitor for displaying at least one soft proof serving as a color reference for printed copies printed during the printing process, and at least one standard light source for at least partial illuminating the control station to... Agent: Cohen, Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane

20080062420 - Alignment apparatus and alignment method: An alignment apparatus, which is used when positioning and joining a plurality of workpieces relative to each other, each workpiece having a plurality of alignment marks for alignment, the alignment apparatus includes: a transparent mask provided with reference marks with which the alignment marks are aligned; a mirror disposed between... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080062421 - Spectrophotometric optical system of microplate reader and filter wheel thereof: A spectrophotometric optical system of a microplate reader and a filter wheel thereof are disclosed. The filter wheel comprises a pivotable wheel body, at least one narrow-band filter with a relatively long central wavelength mounted to the wheel body, and at least one narrow-band filter with a relatively short central... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20080062423 - Microchip testing device: Microchip testing device having a chip holder that can be exactly positioned and from which adhered sample liquid can be removed easily. The microchip testing device has a chip holder, with a cover and a box area, mounted on a measurement stage, a microchip that has an optical measurement chamber... Agent: Roberts, Mlotkowski & Hobbes

20080062422 - Optical inspection of flat media using direct image technology: The invention is directed at a method and system of detecting defects in a transparent media such as a piece of glass. The method comprises the steps of transmitting light from a light source towards the transparent media and then detecting defects in the transparent media by Photodiode array scanning... Agent: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Anne Kinsman

20080062424 - Compact ringlight: A compact ringlight that emulates the performance of a much larger ringlight is disclosed. The invention utilizes a ringlight source and a conical or cylindrical reflector such that light first crosses the optical axis and then is reflected back towards the inspection area. This light is particularly useful for inspecting... Agent: Mark Shires C/o International Product Technology

20080062425 - Diffuse reflectance readhead: A glucose monitoring system comprising a readhead positioned a predetermined distance from a sample aperture. The readhead comprises first and second LEDs adapted to emit intersecting paths of light. A beam splitter is positioned at the intersection of the light paths. The beam splitter comprises a band pass filter for... Agent: Nixon Peabody LLP

20080062426 - Infrared-type gas detector: An infrared-type gas detector is provided with a Fabry-Perot filter through which infrared having a predetermined wavelength is selected to pass, a first detection unit for receiving the infrared having passed through the Fabry-Perot filter and outputting a detection signal corresponding to an absorption amount of the infrared, and a... Agent: Posz Law Group, PLC

20080062427 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes an interferometer which forms interference fringes including aberration information on projection optics using polarized light beams emitted from an illumination system, and a processor which calculates the optical characteristics of the projection optics on the basis of interference patterns sequentially formed by the interferometer using at... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080062428 - Synchronous frequency-shift mechanism in fizeau interferometer: An optical device for characterizing a test surface combines a Fizeau interferometer with a polarization frequency-shifting element. Two substantially collinear, orthogonally polarized beams having respective frequencies differing by a predetermined frequency shift are generated by the polarization frequency-shifting element and projected into the Fizeau optical cavity to produce a pair... Agent: Antonio R. Durando

20080062429 - Low coherence dental oct imaging: A method for obtaining an image of a tooth obtains an area image of the tooth (20) surface and identifies a region of interest from the area image by positioning a marker (146) on the area image. The marker (146) corresponds to at least a portion of the region of... Agent: Carestream Health Inc,

20080062431 - Interferometric optical position encoder employing spatial filtering of diffraction orders for improved accuracy: An optical position encoder employs spatial filtering of diffraction orders other than +/−1st diffraction orders for greater accuracy. The encoder includes a light source, a scale including a diffractive scale pattern, an optical detector adjacent to the scale, and first and second spaced-apart diffraction gratings between the light source and... Agent: Bainwood Huang & Associates LLC

20080062432 - Position measuring arrangement: 3) a pair of partial light beams impinges in a non-parallel manner on the combining grating, and the combining grating brings the partial light beams impinging on the combining grating to interference, so that phase-shifted signals are detected by the plurality of detector elements.... Agent: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

20080062430 - Method and system for determining the position and alignment of a surface of an object in relation to a laser beam: The present invention generally relates to a method and system for determining the position and alignment of a plane in relation to an intersecting axis and using that known position and alignment to allow for corrections to be made when using the plane as a reference plane. More particularly, the... Agent: Towsend And Towsend And Crew LLP/intralase Corp.

20080062433 - Precise rotational motion sensor: A method and apparatus for accurately measuring forces, particularly forces which are applied in a vibrationaly noisy environment. The method and apparatus of the present invention optionally provide the ability to accurately measure,extremely small applied forces, particularly those applied in a noisy environment.... Agent: Peacock Myers, P.C.

20080062434 - Arrangement and method for scanning a number of objects: The invention relates to an arrangement (e.g. based on triangulation) for scanning objects (1.1, 1.2) with a light beam, during which this light beam is moved relative to the surface of the object (1.1, 1.2). The arrangement comprises at least two object holders and means for generating at least one... Agent: Shoemaker And Mattare, Ltd

20080062435 - Optical head device: An optical head device may include a twin laser light source which is integrally provided with a first laser beam emitting element and a second laser beam emitting element, a light receiving element, and an optical system including an objective lens for converging a laser beam on an optical recording... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20080062436 - Liquid ejecting head alignment apparatus and liquid ejecting head alignment method: The invention provides a liquid ejecting head alignment apparatus that is used for positional determination and adhesion of nozzle plates and a fixation member, each of the nozzle plates having nozzle openings through which each of a plurality of liquid ejecting heads ejects liquid and further having alignment marks for... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20080055585 - Line sensor and printing press: A line sensor includes a light source section for irradiating light of a plurality of colors to an inspecting object, and a light-receiving section for detecting reflected light from the inspecting object. The light source section has a plurality of light sources for each of the plurality of colors. The... Agent: Kanesaka Berner And Partners LLP

20080055587 - Method and apparatus for reading out x-ray information stored in storage phosphor plate: A method and to a corresponding apparatus reads out X-ray information stored in a storage phosphor plate (1), the storage phosphor plate (1) being irradiated with stimulation light (3) and so being stimulated into emitting emission light which is collected by a detector (9) during several measuring times and being... Agent: Houston Eliseeva

20080055588 - Via hole depth detector: A via hole depth detector for detecting the depth of a via hole formed in a workpiece held on a chuck table, comprising: a first surface position detection means which comprises a first detection laser beam oscillation means for oscillating a first detection laser beam having a predetermined wavelength and... Agent: Smith, Gambrell & Russell

20080055582 - Apparatus for generating data for determining a property of a gemstone and methods and computer programs for determining a property of a gemstone: A method of capturing data for gemstone analysis is provided. The method includes capturing images of the gemstone under differing lighting conditions, and comparing the captured images.... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080055583 - Surface strain measuring device: The device enables strains of at least one surface (1) of a sample (2) to be measured versus temperature. Strains in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined plane, for example the plane of the surface (1), are measured by composite images. Strains in said plane are measured by image correlation.... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080055584 - Optical transmission filter with extended out-of-band blocking: In accordance with the invention, a filter is fabricated by a modified form of the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,068,430. In particular, the method is modified to take into account the effect of absorption by filter material. The method is exemplified by the fabricating of an ultraviolet light... Agent: Polster, Lieder, Woodruff & Lucchesi

20080055586 - System and method for collecting dna and fingerprints: A system and method is provided that simultaneously or consecutively collects DNA samples and ridge and valley signatures from the same subject during the same collection window that adds value to forensic data collection processes. The collection of the DNA samples and ridge and valley signatures occur during the same... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080055589 - Bidirectional optical module and optical time domain reflectometer equipped with the bidirectional optical module: A bidirectional optical module according to the present invention comprises light emitting elements 110, 130 that emit light to enter an optical fiber 71, a light receiving element 190 that receives light having exited the optical fiber 71 and a light branching element 160 that guides the light having exited... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080055590 - System and method for analyzing a light beam of an exposure tool or a reticle inspection tool: A system operable to detect a light beam generated by a light source includes a substrate that is operable to be coupled to a photomask. One or more image sensors are disposed outwardly from the substrate. An image sensor of the one or more image sensors is operable to detect... Agent: Texas Instruments Incorporated

20080055591 - Apparatus and methods for two-dimensional and three-dimensional inspection of a workpiece: Apparatus and methods for inspecting a workpiece are provided. According to one embodiment, a method for inspecting a workpiece comprises illuminating at least a portion of the workpiece with at least one illumination beam and capturing at least one image including at least on line signature formed by illuminating the... Agent: Alston & Bird, LLP

20080055592 - Aperture variable inspection optical system and color filter evaluaton process: Disclosed is an aperture variable inspection optical system including a variable aperture unit 13 having a polygonal light transparent section and light collecting systems 12a, 12b for forming an irradiation spot U of light passing through the variable aperture unit 13 at the position of a sample S. The variable... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080055593 - Illuminating and panoramically viewing a macroscopically-sized specimen along a single viewing axis at a single time: Simultaneous illumination along each of multiple axis for panoramic viewing of a macroscopically-sized specimen such as a mouse along a single viewing axis is realized by dichroic mirrors. Selective control of illumination intensity and/or color(s) of, permissively, each of multiple illuminating lights along each of multiple illumination axis permits that... Agent: John S. Fox

20080055594 - Hybrid plasma element monitor: Hybrid plasma monitor. A ground electrode is spaced apart from a high voltage electrode supporting an electric discharge therebetween to generate a plasma. The ground electrode and the high voltage electrode form an annular region into which a sample is introduced for generating a plasma. Microwave radiation couples into the... Agent: Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP

20080055595 - System and method of capturing multiple source excitations from a single location on a flow channel: The invention includes a system and a method for capturing multi source excitations from a single location on a flow channel. The system preferably includes a light subsystem that emits light onto a single location on a flow channel, a detector subsystem to detect light emitted from the single location... Agent: Schox PLC

20080055596 - Detecting the orientation of carbon nanotubes: Carbon nanotube orientation may be detected by exposing the carbon nanotube to a pair of laser beams oriented transversely to one another. By observing the effect on the intensity of transmitted light from a first laser beam when the polarization of the second laser beam is changed, the carbon nanotube... Agent: Trop Pruner & Hu, PC

20080055597 - Method for characterizing line width roughness (lwr) of printed features: A method for characterizing line width roughness of printed features is provided. A wafer having thereon a plurality of gratings formed within a test key region is prepared. The wafer is transferred to a spectroscopic ellipsometry tool having a light source, a detector and a computer. A polarized light beam... Agent: North America Intellectual Property Corporation

20080055598 - Using optical deflection of cantilevers for alignment: A calibration leveling system and method are provided which improve printing and imaging at the nanoscale including improved tip-based deposition and nanolithography. The system can include a scanning probe instrument having a video camera with an adjustable lens. The scanner can be coupled to a one or two dimensional array... Agent: Foley And Lardner LLP Suite 500

20080055600 - Defect inspection apparatus: A high speed defect inspection apparatus has a high-speed detector that includes a plurality of image sensors. The image sensors are arranged with gaps between them in the pixel direction to form two lines. The image sensors are arranged in a zigzag pattern so that they are not contiguous to... Agent: Mattingly, Stanger, Malur & Brundidge, P.C.

20080055599 - Method of improving a color filter: A method of improving an initial color filter comprises a numerical generation of sinusoidal spectra. Two steps of selecting said spectra are then executed. The first selection is carried out according to a criterion of calorimetric similitude with respect to the initial filter. The second selection is carried out according... Agent: Occhiuti Rohlicek & Tsao, LLP

20080055601 - Image sensor defect identification using optical flare: Embodiments described herein may operate to compare an illuminance corresponding to a signal from an image sensor array (ISA) element in a production imaging system with an illuminance associated with optical flare incident to an ISA from which the ISA element is selected. The ISA element may be identified as... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.

20080055602 - Optical pickup device: The present invention provides an optical pickup device in which a liquid crystal device is easily attached, mass productivity is high, a movable actuator is light, excellent response can be obtained and, moreover, the liquid crystal device can be easily controlled. In an optical pickup device in which laser beams... Agent: Osha Liang L.L.P.

20080055603 - Common path systems and methods for frequency domain and time domain optical coherence tomography using non-specular reference reflection and a delivering device for optical radiation with a partially optically transparent non-specular reference reflector: Provided are common path frequency domain and time domain OCT systems and methods that use non-specular reference reflection for obtaining internal depth profiles and depth resolved images of samples. Further provided is a delivering device for optical radiation, preferably implemented as an optical fiber probe with a partially optically transparent... Agent: Tucker Ellis & West LLP

20080055604 - Apparatus, method and computer program product for interrogating an optical sensing element: A method for determining deflection of an optical sensor having an optical cavity includes: providing an optical signal including a train of time spaced light pulses, each light pulse including a known set of wavelengths; splitting the optical signal and providing a portion of the optical signal to a reference... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080055605 - Holographic storage system using destructive interference for pixel detection: In a holographic storage system according to the invention, with a coaxial arrangement of an object beam and a reference beam the bright pixels within the object beam have a phase shift of essentially π0 relative to the reference beam. For readout of a data page contained in a reconstructed... Agent: Thomson Licensing LLC

20080055606 - Apparatus and method for inspecting a pattern and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device: An apparatus for inspecting a pattern, including: at least one of a first floodlight system for inspection by transmissive light and a second floodlight system for inspection by reflective light; an inspection optical system for capturing an image of the pattern on an object under inspection; and a stage for... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080055607 - Nanometer-level mix-and-match scanning tip and electron beam lithography using global backside position reference marks: An interferometric-spatial-phase imaging (ISPI) system includes a substrate wafer. An alignment configuration is permanently embedded in the substrate wafer. The alignment configuration uses a global coordinate reference system by providing a plurality of global reference marks that encompass up to the entire substrate wafer. A plurality of alignment markings is... Agent: Gauthier & Connors, LLP

20080055608 - Gobo wheel location drive: A gobo wheel with automatic detection system that automatically detects a rotational position of the gobo. The rotational position can be detected by a magnetic marking system. Each of the gobos can be randomly placed within the holder. the position of the gobos can be automatically determined during a start... Agent: Law Office Of Scott C Harris

20080055609 - Method and system for measuring patterned structures: A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first... Agent: Browdy And Neimark, P.l.l.c. 624 Ninth Street, Nw