3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Richard L Rylander

Ronald David Jesme

Jia Hu

Orlin Bruce Knudson

Stephen J Willett

Neal A Rakow

Kiran S Kanukurthy

Joseph B Eckel

Chaodi Li

Andrew P Bonifas

Robert L W Smithson

David H Redinger

John C Hulteen

David P Erickson

Arthur Scheffler

Kazuhiko Mizuno

Cheryl L S Elsbernd

Marc A Egeland

Andrew Bonifas

Karl M Kropp

Andrzej F Rybacha

Masaru Iwasawa

Andrew R Henry

Michael W Dolezal

Justin Tungjunyatham

Adam C Nyland

Zeljko Zupanc

Cheryl Lee Senger Elsbernd

Rufus C Sanders

Bradley M Johnson

Paul HR Jolly

Magneto-Mechanical Resonator Sensor with Mass Distribution Channel Some aspects of the present disclosure feature a sensing device (e.g. for temperature, moisture or detection of substances) comprising a magnetic bias layer, a resonator, a spacer, and an environmental change receptor. The spacer is disposed between the magnetic bias layer and the resonator. At least one of the resonator surfaces has a predefined channel. The environmental change receptor is disposed proximate to the predefined channel. In response to a change in environment, the environmental change receptor distributes along a part of the channel.

Magneto-mechanical resonator sensor with mass distribution channel

Some aspects of the present disclosure feature a sensing device comprising a magnetic bias layer, a resonator, a spacer, and an environmental change receptor. The environmental change receptor is disposed on a surface of the resonator. The mass of the environmental change receptor is changed in response to a change in environment. The resonant frequency of the sensing device shifts in response to the mass change of the environmental change receptor.

Magneto-mechanical resonator sensor with pre-disposed mass

Some aspects of the present disclosure feature a sensing device comprising a magnetic bias layer, a resonator, a spacer, and a housing. The spacer includes an environmental change receptor. The thickness of the environmental change receptor rapidly increases in response to a change to an environment variable.

Magneto-mechanical resonator sensor with absorption material

Some aspects of the present disclosure feature a system for sensing a change in environment comprising a MMR sensor and a reader. The MMR sensor is configured to be disposed in the environment. The MMR sensor comprises a magnetic bias layer, a resonator, a spacer, and an environmental change receptor. The reader is configured to measure a frequency characteristic of the MMR sensor after the environmental variable changes and the change to the environmental variable is evaluated based on the frequency characteristic.

Systems and methods for magneto-mechanical resonator sensors

User interface having a sensor and a composite interface that floats. Embodiments of user interfaces described herein are useful, for example, as automobile components (e.g., dashboard components), appliance components (e.g., dishwasher components, stove components, oven components, microwave oven components, clothes washer components, and clothes dyer components), medical equipment, elevator buttons, laboratory equipment (e.g., scales), as well as consumer electronics (e.g., entertainment devices and cell phones), automatic teller machines, and the like.

User interface with a composite image that floats

Herein are disclosed optoelectronic methods and devices for detecting the presence of an analyte. Such methods and devices may comprise at least one sensing element that is responsive to the presence of an analyte of interest and that may be interrogated optically by the use of at least one light source and at least one light detector.

Optoelectronic methods and devices for detection of analytes

A stochastic halftone pattern has been invented which has a narrow band power spectrum due to the incorporation of a dot growth process. The narrow band power spectrum may be matched to the resolution characteristics of specific printers, resulting in smoother printed halftone textures. The spectrum of a halftone pattern may be made anisotropic (angularly dependent), helping to de-couple sets of patterns for color printing with reduced color noise or mottle.

Narrow band, anisotropic stochastic halftone patterns and methods of creating and using the same

A set of thinned halftone dot patterns useful in inkjet printing comprises a plurality of halftone cells corresponding to respective shade values. Each of the halftone cells includes a plurality of addressable points, with at least some of the points being turned 'on' to define a halftone dot pattern, and at least some of the 'on' points defining a core component of the halftone dot pattern being selectively turned 'off', thereby producing a thinned halftone dot pattern. The thinned halftone dot patterns enable the use of higher addressability in an inkjet printing system to achieve a wider range of shade values while avoiding undesirable over-inking of printed halftone dot patterns due to excessive overlap between printed ink spots. The thinned halftone dot patterns prevent significant overlap between adjacent ink spots in the core, or 'interior', component when the halftone dot pattern is printed by the inkjet printing system, but preserves the entire edge component to maintain desired halftone cell definition. Thinned halftone cells can be stored in a memory as 'glyphs' and retrieved by an inkjet printing system to print higher addressability halftone images with enhanced quality and a wider range of shade values.

Thinned halftone dot patterns for inkjet printing

A screen system used in the electro-optical reproduction of half-tone pictures in multicolor prints are generated by an algorithm which simulates a continuous tone image containing a range of gray shades from black to white or a color separation. The 'threshold equation' is the key of the invention as it calculates a threshold gray value that is compared to the desired local image value to determine whether that particular point should be 'on' or 'off'. Which points (spots) are 'on' and which are 'off' is determined by the function that assigns a 'threshold' value (the shade at which a pixel changes from 'off' to 'on') based on a pixels 'x' and 'y' coordinates. The generated screen comprises columns and rows of halftone dot centers in which there is equal spacing in row to row, column to column, and column to rows relationships, but the columns are not geometrically orthogonal (perpendicular) to the rows.

Non-perpendicular, equal frequency non-conventional screen patterns for

A screen system used in the electro-optical reproduction of half-tone pictures in multicolor prints are generated by an algorithm which simulates a continuous tone image. There is disclosed partial screens and screen systems produced by an algorithm for use with a digitized image which provides a means of simulating a continuous tone image containing a range of gray shades from black to white or a color separation. The 'Threshold equation' is the key of the invention as it calculates a threshold gray value that is compared to the desired local image value to determine whether that particular point should be 'on' or 'off'. Which points (spots) are 'on' and which are 'off' is determined by the function that assigns a 'threshold' value (the shade at which a pixel changes from 'off' to 'on') based on a pixels 'x' and 'y' coordinates. The generated screen comprises columns and rows of halftone dot centers, the columns and rows are geometrically orthogonal (perpendicular), but the row to row spacing and/or column to column spacing is not equal, either row to row, column to column, or row to column.

Perpendicular, unequal frequency non-conventional screen patterns for

A screen system used in the electro-optical reproduction of half-tone pictures in multicolor prints are generated by an algorithm which simulates a continuous tone image containing a range of gray shades from black to white or a color separation. The 'threshold equation' is the key of the invention as it calculates a threshold gray value that is compared to the desired local image value to determine whether that particular point should be 'on' or 'off'. Which points (spots) are 'on' and which are 'off' is determined by the function that assigns a 'threshold' value (the shade at which a pixel changes from 'off' to 'on') based on a pixels 'x' and 'y' coordinates. The generated screen comprises columns and rows of halftone dots which are not all centered at addressable raster grid points. The screens are anharmonic rational screens with the columns and rows both geometrically orthogonal (perpendicular) and equally spaced, but with some dots not centered at the addressable raster grid points. The dots are not all identical in either shape or size.

Perpendicular, equal frequency non-conventional screen patterns for

A screen system used in the electro-optical reproduction of half-tone pictures in multicolor prints are generated by an algorithm which simulates a continuous tone image containing a range of gray shades from black to white or a color separation. The 'threshold equation' is the key of the invention as it calculates a threshold gray value that is compared to the desired local image value to determine whether that particular point should be 'on' or 'off'. Which points (spots) are 'on' and which are 'off' is determined by the function that assigns a 'threshold' value (the shade at which a pixel changes from 'off' to 'on') based on a pixels 'x' and 'y' coordinates. The generated screen comprises columns and rows of halftone dot centers in which the columns and rows are not perpendicular to each other and the column to column spacing is not equal to the row to row spacing.

Non-perpendicular, unequal frequency non-conventional screen patterns

There is disclosed an algorithm for use with a digitized image which provides a means of simulating a continuous tone image containing a range of gray shades from black to white or a color separation. The 'threshold equation' is the key of the invention as it calculates a threshold gray value that is compared to the desired local image value to determine whether that particular point should be 'on' or 'off'. Which points (spots) are 'on' and which are 'off' is determined by the function that assigns a 'threshold' value (the shade at which a pixel changes from 'off' to 'on') based on a pixels 'x' and 'y' coordinates.

Growing community of inventors

Stillwater, MN, United States of America

Richard L Rylander