Ut-Battelle, Inc.

Other

Texas Tech University System

Hamed Sari-Sarraf

Shaun S Gleason

Michael J Paulus

Eric Hequet

Michael Leon Simpson

Charles L Britton, Jr

Clarence E Thomas

Kenneth William Tobin, Jr

James S Goddard

Christopher N Turner

Martin A Hunt

Aijun Zhu

Ajay Pai

Fabric wrinkles are automatically evaluated using a reliable, accurate, affordable, and efficient system. Two algorithms are used, the facet model algorithm and the plane-cutting algorithm, to extract features for evaluating wrinkles in fabrics. These algorithms eliminate the need for independent evaluation of a fabric specimen by a technician.

Fabric wrinkle evaluation

A method for identification of anomalous structures, such as defects, includes the steps of providing a digital image and applying fractal encoding to identify a location of at least one anomalous portion of the image. The method does not require a reference image to identify the location of the anomalous portion. The method can further include the step of initializing an active contour based on the location information obtained from the fractal encoding step and deforming an active contour to enhance the boundary delineation of the anomalous portion.

Method for non-referential defect characterization using fractal encoding and active contours

A cotton sample is subjected to noninvasive x-ray microtomographic image analysis in order to recognize cotton contaminants in the cotton sample. The cotton contaminants are detected and classified using an x-ray microtomographic system. Once the cotton contaminants in the cotton sample are detected and classified, the cotton sample may be graded based on the type and amount of cotton contaminants present.

Method for identification of cotton contaminants with x-ray microtomographic image analysis

A method and apparatus are provided by which a sheet-forming web may be characterized in four dimensions. Light images of the web are recorded at a point adjacent the initial stage of the web, for example, near the headbox in a paperforming operation. The images are digitized, and the resulting data is processed by novel algorithms to provide a four-dimensional measurement of the web. The measurements include two-dimensional spatial information, the intensity profile of the web, and the depth profile of the web. These measurements can be used to characterize the web, predict its properties and monitor production events, and to analyze and quantify headbox flow dynamics.

Four-dimensional characterization of a sheet-forming web

Automatic detection of defects during the fabrication of semiconductor wafers is largely automated, but the classification of those defects is still performed manually by technicians. This invention includes novel digital image analysis techniques that generate unique feature vector descriptions of semiconductor defects as well as classifiers that use these descriptions to automatically categorize the defects into one of a set of pre-defined classes. Feature extraction techniques based on multiple-focus images, multiple-defect mask images, and segmented semiconductor wafer images are used to create unique feature-based descriptions of the semiconductor defects. These feature-based defect descriptions are subsequently classified by a defect classifier into categories that depend on defect characteristics and defect contextual information, that is, the semiconductor process layer(s) with which the defect comes in contact. At the heart of the system is a knowledge database that stores and distributes historical semiconductor wafer and defect data to guide the feature extraction and classification processes. In summary, this invention takes as its input a set of images containing semiconductor defect information, and generates as its output a classification for the defect that describes not only the defect itself, but also the location of that defect with respect to the semiconductor process layers.

Context-based automated defect classification system using multiple morphological masks

A method for ultra-high resolution computed tomography imaging, comprising the steps of: focusing a high energy particle beam, for example x-rays or gamma-rays, onto a target object; acquiring a 2-dimensional projection data set representative of the target object; generating a corrected projection data set by applying a deconvolution algorithm, having an experimentally determined a transfer function, to the 2-dimensional data set; storing the corrected projection data set; incrementally rotating the target object through an angle of approximately 180&deg;, and after each the incremental rotation, repeating the radiating, acquiring, generating and storing steps; and, after the rotating step, applying a cone-beam algorithm, for example a modified tomographic reconstruction algorithm, to the corrected projection data sets to generate a 3-dimensional image. The size of the spot focus of the beam is reduced to not greater than approximately 1 micron, and even to not greater than approximately 0.5 microns.

Ultra-high resolution computed tomography imaging

A method for simultaneous transmission x-ray computed tomography (CT) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) comprises the steps of: injecting a subject with a tracer compound tagged with a &ggr;-ray emitting nuclide; directing an x-ray source toward the subject; rotating the x-ray source around the subject; emitting x-rays during the rotating step; rotating a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) two-sided detector on an opposite side of the subject from the source; simultaneously detecting the position and energy of each pulsed x-ray and each emitted &ggr;-ray captured by the CZT detector; recording data for each position and each energy of each the captured x-ray and &ggr;-ray; and, creating CT and SPECT images from the recorded data. The transmitted energy levels of the x-rays lower are biased lower than energy levels of the &ggr;-rays. The x-ray source is operated in a continuous mode. The method can be implemented at ambient temperatures.

Growing community of inventors

Lubbock, TX, United States of America

Hamed Sari-Sarraf