Monarch Marking Systems, Inc.

Wright State University

John S Cetnar

James A Makley

Ronald L Fogle

Donald A Morrison

Lance D Neuhard

Elliott R Brown

Amy S Christopher

John R Middendorf

Monte R Lucas

Terahertz (THz) distributed detectors, and arrays of detectors that utilize structured surface plasmonic effects for more efficient coupling to free space are discussed. One example distributed detector includes a detector junction comprising a Schottky or tunneling interface between a semiconductor and a detector metal, an ohmic junction comprising an ohmic interface between the semiconductor and an ohmic metal, and a gap that separates the detector junction from the ohmic junction. Structured surface plasmons concentrate an electric field in the gap when the distributed detector is exposed to THz radiation polarized perpendicular to the gap.

THz distributed detectors and arrays

The hand-held apparatus of the present invention includes an integral printer and measuring device so that measurement information obtained from the measuring device may be automatically printed, used to determine additional information to be printed such as price information, or merely displayed. A measuring wheel having detectable marks disposed about the periphery thereof is rotatably mounted on the housing of the apparatus in proximity to a sensor that detects the marks. This sensor is positioned on the housing to not only detect the marks on the measuring wheel but to also detect the presence or absence of a label dispensed from the housing so as to provide an on-demand printing mode of operation. A controller is responsive to the sensor in the on-demand mode of operation for controlling a printhead to print on a supply when the previously printed supply has been removed from the apparatus. The controller is also responsive to the sensor in a second mode of operation for counting the marks that pass the sensor as the measuring wheel is rotated when the apparatus is rolled across a dimension of an object to be measured, such as the length, width or height of the object.

Hand-held labeling apparatus with measuring device and printer

A printer is shown for printing a large number of symbols from a standardized set of symbols wherein each symbol has an associated code word that identifies the symbol within the set. The pixel data for each symbol in the standardized set is stored in a memory at addresses that are different from the code word identifying the symbol. The printer includes a microprocessor control circuit that receives input data including a code word identifying a symbol to be printed from an input device. The microprocessor control circuit includes a direct memory access controller for controlling the transfer of data from the symbol memory to an output image buffer. Hardware is provided to generate the addresses to the symbol memory necessary to read pixel data for a given symbol out from the memory in response to an output code word thereby eliminating the need for a large look-up table.

Printer with hardware symbol data accessing scheme

Growing community of inventors

West Manchester, OH, United States of America

John S Cetnar