Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Marie I Harrington

John Richard Troxell

Larry Max Oberdier

David Kay Lambert

Michel Farid Sultan

Shih-Chia Chang

Jeffery Alan Zuraski

Charles Robert Harrington

David Sturge Eddy

James C Erskine

Michael William Putty

Jeffrey M Kempisty

A transparent overlay input device includes a transparent non-conductive substrate, a plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs and a transparent non-conductive cover. The plurality of transparent conductive electrode pairs are formed on the substrate and each form a proximity sensitive region and include a first electrode that receives an input signal and a second electrode that provides an output signal. The first and second electrodes are capacitively coupled and the capacitance of the electrode pair changes when a conductive member, e.g., a user's finger, is located near the electrode pair. The transparent non-conductive cover is formed on the substrate over the electrode pairs.

Transparent overlay input device

An integrated switch-indicator unit includes a light emitting diode (LED) structure for providing a plurality of indicators and an overlay input device integrated with the LED structure. The overlay input device includes a non-conductive substrate and a plurality of conductive electrode pairs. The plurality of conductive electrode pairs are formed on the substrate and each form a proximity sensitive region and include a first electrode that receives an input signal and a second electrode that provides an output signal. The first and second electrodes are capacitively coupled and the capacitance of the electrode pair changes when a conductive member, e.g., a user's finger, is located near the electrode pair.

Retaskable switch-indicator unit

An electromagnetic microactuator having a ferromagnetic substrate, preferably steel. A plurality of layers are deposited upon the substrate including an insulating layer, a seed layer and first and second photoresist layers. The first photoresist layer provides a coil well which defines the deposition location of a coil metal. The second photoresist layer provides central and peripheral core wells which define the deposition locations of a central core and a peripheral core, respectively. The second photoresist layer intersticially fills and protectively covers the coil.

Microactuator having a ferromagnetic substrate

A device for disabling vehicle controls includes one or more switches that control a function. This device also has a sensor to detect a vehicle event. When the sensor detects a vehicle event, a controller prevents the switches from controlling that function.

Device and method for disabling vehicle controls

In an infra-red imaging system, infra-red radiation from a scene is optically collected and directed to form an infra-red image of the scene on an array of bi-state diffraction grating elements. Each bi-state diffraction grating element has an activated state providing diffraction of incident infra-red radiation at a predetermined angle from the incident direction and an alternative inactivated state providing no such diffraction at the predetermined angle. Scanning apparatus sequentially activates the bi-state diffraction grating elements temporarily from their inactivated states to their activated states to produce a scanned infra-red image of the scene in IR radiation diffracted by the elements at the predetermined angle, which is collected and directed to an infra-red detector. The detector provides a coded electrical representation of the scanned infra-red image of the scene to further apparatus which generates therefrom a human-detectable signal. The separation of scanning from detection allows a single detector to be used for the detection of multiple pixels and thus reduces the size, complexity and cost of the detector apparatus. The scanning apparatus may also provide a chopping function by delaying the activation of each bi-state diffraction grating element to its activated state for a predetermined time period after a deactivation to the inactivated state of the previous sequentially activated diffraction grating element. The apparatus may combine IR radiation at two wavelengths by providing separate detectors at the angle of diffraction of each wavelength or by mixing diffraction grating elements of different grating pitch providing diffraction of each wavelength at the same angle to a single IR detector. Some embodiments may provide combination of IR and visible light for an enhanced visible image.

Infra-red imaging system using a diffraction grating array

An imaging system provides a visible image of a scene enhanced by information from electromagnetic radiation from the scene at a non-visible wavelength without parallax-induced errors. First optical apparatus collects electromagnetic radiation from a scene and directs it onto an array of bi-state diffraction grating elements to form a combined image of the scene on the array at both visible and non-visible wavelengths. The bi-state diffraction grating elements of the array are sequentially and temporarily activated in a predetermined order to an activated state providing diffraction of incident electromagnetic radiation of the visible and non-visible wavelengths in a predetermined manner from an inactivated state in which such diffraction is not provided. The electromagnetic radiation so diffracted is collected and directed toward detector apparatus which provides coded electrical representation of scanned images of the scene in electromagnetic radiation of the visible and non-visible wavelengths. The imaging system generates an enhanced human-detectable signal from the coded representations of the separate scanned images of the scene in electromagnetic radiation of the visible and non-visible wavelengths. The grating elements of the diffraction grating array may diffract radiation of the non-visible and visible wavelengths at first and second predetermined angles, respectively, to different detectors. Alternatively, the diffraction grating array may have an alternating mix of diffraction grating elements having first and second grating pitches to diffract electromagnetic radiation of the visible and non-visible wavelengths at the same predetermined angle to a single detector.

Imaging system combining visible and non-visible electromagnetic

The durability and reliability of a polymer layer/metal layer sensor structure is improved by the incorporation of a metal oxide, e.g., tantalum oxide (Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5), layer between the polymer, e.g., polyimide, and the metal, e.g., platinum. sensor element.

Durable platinum/polyimide sensing structures

An active matrix transistor array substrate for a reconfigurable vacuum fluorescent display comprising a set of individually addressable pixels and an isolation grid surrounding each pixel of the set and isolating each pixel of the set from all other pixels of the set. The isolation grid is especially advantageous in a high density active matrix display for preventing one pixel that is switched off from inhibiting a neighboring pixel that is switched on from fully illuminating.

Active matrix vacuum fluorescent display using pixel isolation

A thin film field effect transistor has an island of polysilicon on the surface of a substrate, preferably of an insulating material. A layer of silicon dioxide is on the surface of the substrate and surrounds the polysilicon island. The silicon dioxide layer is of substantially uniform thickness and contacts the edge of the polysilicon island. A gate insulator layer, preferably of silicon dioxide, of substantially uniform thickness is on the surface of the polysilicon island. A conductive gate, preferably of doped polysilicon, is on the gate insulator layer and extends across a portion of the polysilicon island. The portions of the polysilicon island at opposite sides of the gate are doped to form the source and drain of the transistor. The transistor is formed by applying a layer of polysilicon on the surface of a substrate and applying a mask over the portion of the polysilicon layer which is to form the island. The uncovered portion of the polysilicon layer is converted to silicon dioxide, such as by heating in an atmosphere containing oxygen. After removing the mask, the gate insulator layer is formed over the surface of the polysilicon island, and the gate is formed over the gate insulator.

Method of making a thin film transistor

A method of fabricating polycrystalline silicon thin film field effect transistors on low cost alkaline earth alumino-silicate glass substrates which can tolerate device processing temperatures of approximately 800.degree. C.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Marie I Harrington