Science Applications International Corporation

Other

Adam Thomas Drobot

Newell Convers Wyeth

Albert Myron Green

Edward Victor George

Roger Laverne Johnson

Robert Courtney White

N Convers Wyeth

E Victor George

Douglas A Kirkpatrick

Edward Alan Phillips

Craig Jeffrey Mathias

An improved light-emitting panel having a plurality of micro-components sandwiched between two substrates is disclosed. Each micro-component contains a gas or gas-mixture capable of ionization when a sufficiently large voltage is supplied across the micro-component via at least two electrodes. An improved method of manufacturing a light-emitting panel is also disclosed, which uses a web fabrication process to manufacturing light-emitting displays as part of a high-speed, continuous inline process.

Light-emitting panel and a method for making

An improved light-emitting panel having a plurality of micro-components sandwiched between two substrates is disclosed. Each micro-component contains a gas or gas-mixture capable of ionization when a sufficiently large voltage is supplied across the micro-component via at least two electrodes. An improved method of manufacturing a light-emitting panel is also disclosed, which uses a web fabrication process to manufacturing light-emitting displays as part of a high-speed, continuous incline process.

A method of forming micro-components is disclosed. The method includes pretesting and conditioning of the micro-components. The micro-components that fail testing or conditioning are discarded, and those remaining are assembled into a panel.

Design, fabrication, testing, and conditioning of micro-components for use in a light-emitting panel

An improved light-emitting display having a plurality of micro-components sandwiched between two substrates is disclosed. Each micro-component contains a gas or gas-mixture capable of ionization when a sufficiently large trigger voltage is supplied across the micro-component by up to two triggering electrodes and ionization can be maintain by a sustain voltage supplied by up to two sustain electrodes. The display is further divided into a plurality of panels that can be individually addressed in parallel, preferably directly through the back of the panels and can include voltage multiplying circuitry to decrease the power demands for addressing circuitry. Alternative methods of addressing the micro-components include the use of directed light and arrangements of electrodes to address multiple micro-components with a single electrode.

Method and apparatus for addressing micro-components in a plasma display panel

An improved light-emitting panel having a plurality of micro-components sandwiched between two substrates is disclosed. Each micro-component contains a gas or gas-mixture capable of ionization when a sufficiently large voltage is supplied across the micro-component via at least two electrodes. Several improved methods of forming micro-components are also disclosed.

Micro-component for use in a light-emitting panel

Method for making a light-emitting panel

An optical scanner employs a scanning head provided with an array of light-emitting apertures. According to one embodiment, for example, light is directed through wave-guides or optical fibers, embedded in the scanning head, to the apertures. The head is oscillated by a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) motor. This generates a rapidly sweeping array of light spots on the scanned surface. Light is projected to a scanned surface and collected through the same apertures. In an alternate embodiment, scanning head is provided with separate optical fibers, one for each light spot. Each fiber is vibrated by a separate MEMS motor and individually oscillated in synchrony.

Multiple parallel source scanning device

A multiple channel scanning device has a scanning head with multiple columns of apertures that emit light which is projected to a small spot on the surface of a recorded medium. Light returned from the medium reenters the apertures and is conducted to detectors. In a preferred embodiment, the scanning head is rapidly oscillated (may be on the order of 100 kHz rate), in a direction parallel to the columns. The medium is moved in a direction perpendicular to the columns so that the same recorded regions pass beneath successive columns of apertures. The data from the detectors is image-processed to improve the quality of data reading using the successive readings of the same data regions. This allows errors to be corrected and throughput to be improved.

Multiple channel scanning device using oversampling and image processing to increase throughput

An optical scanner employs a read/write head formed on an optoelectronic chip. The chip has a laser source and a diverging series of light guides interconnected with switches under control of a controller. The light from the light source is transmitted to multiple output apertures during reading operations, since, usually, less intensity is required to read data that to write it. This allows multiple channels to be read in at the same time. The light is directed to a selected output aperture during writing operations so that all of the light from the laser source is used for writing. In another embodiment, light from a small number of lasers is directed to a diverging series of light guides leading to multiple apertures, but the light fed into the input light guides comes from a small number of lasers, which could be one laser, or from a larger number of lasers, which could be two lasers. In this way, multiple channels can be written and read using the larger number of lasers during the write operation and the small number of lasers during the read operation. In either embodiment, the write operation involves modulating the emitted light, either by modulating the lasers directly or by using the switches on the optoelectronic chip. For scanning, the chip is oscillated by a motor, which could be a MEMS motor. Light emitted by the output apertures illuminates an array of small spots, in this embodiment, by imaging optics fixed relative to the scanned surface. This generates a rapidly sweeping array of light spots on the scanned surface. In alternative embodiments, the focusing optics are oscillated and the fiber array is held fixed, or the focusing optics and the fiber array are oscillated as a single assembly.

Multiple channel scanning device using optoelectronic switching

An integrated optoelectronic chip 116 produces multiple modulatable outputs in a read write head. An array of light guides in a light guide switchyard has some terminations at output apertures and some at beam dumps within the read/write head. The beam dumps absorb and dissipate any light conveyed to them. The beam switches allow control of the direction of light emitted from an on-board laser 106 which enters the array of light guides. By switching between a respective beam dump and a respective output aperture, the beam switch is used to modulate the output from the aperture. The light emitted can be imaged onto a target surface by a lens system or a single holographic element. In an alternative embodiment, instead of dumping the light to a beam dump, it can also be directed away from the target surface. An optoelectronic chip for modulating multiple outputs can be formed without an embedded laser. Instead, a separate laser may be connected to a chip having light guides, optoelectronic switches, and beam dumps, only.

Multiple channel data writing device

An optical scanner employs a scanning head provided with an array of light-emitting apertures. According to one embodiment, for example, light is directed through wave-guides or optical fibers, embedded in the scanning head, to the apertures. The head is oscillated by a micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) motor. This generates a rapidly sweeping array of light spots on the scanned surface. Light is projected to a scanned surface and collected through the same apertures. In an alternate embodiment, scanning head is provided with separate optical fibers, one for each light spot. Each fiber is vibrated by a separate MEMS motor and individually oscillated in synchrony.

An optical scanner employs a cantilever-mounted optical fiber within a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) motor. In an embodiment, the fiber is sandwiched between two piezoelectric elements to form a unitary bimorph. The bimorph is excited with opposite polarity to cause it to bend rapidly in a plane. The light collected from the tip is projected to a small spot on the scanned medium. The bimorph is oscillated by applying an alternating voltage across the piezoelectric elements which causes the bimorph to bend back and forth at high rates. A medium is passed in a direction at least partly orthogonal to the direction of oscillation of the bimorph so that spot, rapidly sweeping across the surface of the medium, scans the surface. To write information on the medium, a source sufficiently intense, is modulated and applied to the fiber. To read information, a sufficiently intense source is continuously applied to the fiber and a detector used to pick up light returned from the medium surface.

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Vienna, VA, United States of America

Adam Thomas Drobot