Hughes Aircraft Company

Raytheon Company

Other

The Aerospace Corporation

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Transbiotec, Inc.

Ronald L Williams

Steven E Shields

Kenneth H Lau

Ogden J Marsh

Alan G Thiele

Adam M Kennedy

Paul R Norton

Ronald M Finnila

Eliezer Wiener-Avnear

Anthony J Nowakowski

Landon Duval

Joe B Tyra

Warren W Hayden

Charles E Sarver

Joseph B Tyra

Nelson E Blakey

Nolann George Williams

James C Thomas

A chair riser assembly supports a chair in an elevated position relative to a primary support surface for providing the chair user with a slightly raised seat elevation for aiding the chair user in rising from the riser-supported chair. The chair riser assembly includes a series of corner post assemblies each of which have a lower post end for engaging the primary support surface. Two width adjustment assemblies adjustably interconnect paired, laterally spaced the post assemblies for enabling the user to adjust the lateral width of the riser assembly for accommodating variously sized chairs. Laterally opposed chair support assemblies interconnect forward portions of the chair riser assembly to rearward portions of the chair riser assembly. Each chair support assembly includes a chair support portion in superior adjacency to the lower post ends for supporting lower portions of the chair in superior adjacency to the primary support surface.

Chair riser assembly

An alcohol detection system incorporates a resistive touch sensor mountable in a vehicle for determining presence of alcohol based on changed skin resistance. An ignition interlock is provided in the vehicle and a microcontroller is connected to and receives data from the touch sensor and provides a signal to open the interlock to disable the vehicle upon receipt of data from the touch sensor exceeding a predetermined value. The system also employs operator identification and vehicle location systems with a data logger allowing the microcontroller to store data on test results, operator identification and vehicle location. Additionally, the system may employ a cellular communication system to allow reporting of the data to a remote location.

Alcohol detection system for vehicle driver testing with integral temperature compensation

A filter or lens for common optical apparatus includes a clear center portion and an attenuating peripheral portion where the peripheral portion attenuates off-axis images and passes on-axis images with high signal to noise ratios yet not completely blocking the off-axis images, which lens is well suited for reducing off-axis glare in the optical apparatus that may be handheld optical apparatus such as binoculars, telescopes, cameras, and eyeglasses.

Peripheral filtering optical eyeglasses

A filter or lens for a star tracking telescope includes a clear center portion and an attenuating peripheral portion where the peripheral portion attenuation of off-axis images is nonidentical through any radial line extending from a center of the filter or lens to a circumference edge of the filter or lens for passing on-axis images with high signal to noise ratios and for attenuating off-axis images for attenuating but not completely blocking the off-axis images, which telescope with such a filter or lens is well suited for improved star tracking systems, and well suited for reducing off-axis glare in handheld optical apparatus such as binoculars, telescopes, cameras, and eyeglasses.

Peripheral filtering lens

A secure circuit is protected from reverse engineering by sensing radiation to which the circuit is normally not exposed, but which is present in its analysis. The circuit is modified in response to such radiation so that it is not compromised by subsequent analysis. The secure circuit can be implemented as a volatile memory having a power supply circuit that is interrupted in response to radiation exposure. Alternately, a circuit used to burn out the secure circuit, or to reprogram the circuit in the case of a programmable memory, could be actuated by the radiation exposure. Reprogramming mechanisms include an operational amplifier with its input state controlled by a photodiode, a random access memory cell with inherently photosensitive transistors, and a photosensitive transistor switch connecting a multi-vibrator to a memory address line.

Apparatus and method for inhibiting analysis of a secure circuit

An apparatus and method for assuring that a machine operator is not under the influence of a chemical, comprising a first sensor positioned proximally to the machine operator and adapted for, measuring a vapor concentration proximal thereto, a second sensor positioned distally from the machine operator and adapted for measuring the vapor concentration distally from the operator, a device for comparing the proximal and distal vapor concentrations, and an automated remediating device responsive to the comparing device when the ratio of the first and the second vapor concentrations are within a specified range.

Apparatus and method for determining machine operator status

A multilayer microelectronic module assembly has at least two planar module structures, in the form of boards lying parallel to each other and which must be electrically interconnected. Each planar module structure has electronic circuitry thereon and electrical interconnect locations in registry with corresponding electrical interconnect locations on the adjacent planar module structure. The electrical interconnections are accomplished by closely spaced direct electrical interconnectors extending between the respective electrical interconnection locations on the adjacent planar module structures. Each module assembly is preferably affixed to a support. Multiple supports are arranged parallel to each other and electrically interconnected by similar direct electrical interconnectors. By accomplishing the electrical interconnections using direct electrical interconnectors rather than a conventional backplane, there is room at the periphery of the planar module structures for attachment to a thermally conductive heat sink, which efficiently removes heat generated by the electronic circuitry on the planar module structures.

Electronic micropackaging assembly and its fabrication

A vacuum package (20) is fabricated by providing a package base (22) with a device (32) affixed to the interior of the package base (22), and a package lid (42). An activatable getter material (54) is deposited onto a preselected region of either the interior (48) of the package lid (42) or that portion of the package base (22) which does not have the device (32) affixed thereto. The deposited getter material (54) is deposited at a temperature such that it is activated during deposition. The vacuum package lid (42) is sealed to the vacuum package base (22). The steps of depositing and sealing are conducted in an evacuated vacuum chamber without exposing the interior to atmosphere.

Vacuum package having vacuum-deposited local getter and its preparation

Apparatus (102, 202, 302) and method for tunneling rate infrared detection devices formed on a single substrate (100). A counter electrode (104, 207) having a plurality of portions extending from the substrate (100) with the counter electrode (104, 207) suspended above the substrate (100) at a distance from a tunneling electrode (116) so that a tunneling current flows through the counter electrode (104, 207) and tunneling electrode (116) in response to an applied bias voltage. The counter electrode (104, 207) and tunneling electrodes (116) form a circuit that produces an output signal. A force applied to the sensor (102, 202, 302) urges the counter electrode (104, 207, 304) to deflect relative to the tunneling electrode (116) to modulate the output signal. The output signal is a control voltage that is applied between the counter electrode (104, 207, 304) and a control electrode (114) to maintain a constant tunneling current. In the preferred embodiment, two cantilever portions (108, 110) extend from the wafer surface (100). In a further embodiment, three portions (206, 208, 210) extend from the substrate (100). In an alternate embodiment, a counter electrode (304) having a varying width is fabricated.

Method and apparatus for sensing infrared radiation utilizing a

An electrically conductive substrate (20) is etched by providing an etchant solution having finely divided, electrically conductive particles (40) mixed therein. The electrically conductive particles (40) are made of a material that is cathodic to the substrate (20) and does not dissolve into the etchant solution, with a preferred such material being graphite. The substrate (20) is placed into the etchant solution having the particles (40) therein so that the particles (40) contact the substrate (20), and etched for a period of time sufficient to remove a desired amount of the substrate material. The substrate (20) may be provided with an apertured mask (24) prior to being placed into the etchant solution.

Cathodic particle-assisted etching of substrates

A method of operating a liquid crystal display, and a liquid crystal display constructed to operate in accordance with the method. The liquid crystal display has a plurality of display pixels, and the method comprises the steps of (a) operating a first switch (S1) for storing a charge on a storage capacitance (C1), the charge having a magnitude selected so as to cause a desired degree of polarization of a region (pixel) of liquid crystal material; (b) operating a second switch (S2) so as to conductively couple the stored charge to the region of liquid crystal material, thereby storing a charge on a capacitance (C2) that is associated with the region of liquid crystal material; and (c) operating a third switch (S3) so as to discharge the storage capacitance and the capacitance that is associated with the region of liquid crystal material. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating a display assembly that comprises a layer of liquid crystal material and a plurality of drive circuits that are formed within a common layer of semiconductor material.

Point addressable display assembly, method of operating same, and method

A two-wheeled vehicle support apparatus includes a kickstand-receiving support member adapted to rest on a support surface and be interposed between the ends of the kickstand and the support surface. A riser member is adapted to interlock with the kickstand-receiving support member. Also, the riser member is adapted to partially rest on the support surface, and a tire-supporting member is adapted for receiving a rear tire of a two-wheeled vehicle. The tire-supporting member includes a first tire-receiving portion adapted to receive a bottom portion of the tire. The tire-supporting member is interposed between the rear tire and the support surface. The riser member includes a ramp portion located at a leading end of the riser member. The kickstand-receiving support member includes a centrally located tongue portion and a pair of platform portions which straddle the tongue portion. The riser member includes a groove portion that is complementary to the tongue portion and is adapted to receive the tongue portion, whereby the kickstand-receiving support member and the riser member are locked together in a predetermined orientation and are prevented from rotating with respect to each other. The first tire-receiving portion has a concave shape and is located on the tire-supporting member at a position distal to the leading edge. The tire-supporting member includes a riser portion located between the leading edge and the first tire-receiving portion of the tire-supporting member.

Two wheeled vehicle support apparatus

A silicon dioxide etch stop layer (30) is formed on an inner surface (28b) of a monocrystalline silicon semiconductor layer (28), and a silicon carrier wafer (52) is bonded to the etch stop layer (30). The exposed outer surface (28a) of the layer (28) is uniformly thinned to approximately 4 micrometers. Vertical interconnects or vias (49) are formed through the layer (28), and microelectronic transistor driver devices (42) and storage capacitors (47) are formed on the outer surface (28a) of the layer (28) in connection with the respective vias (49). A substrate (12) is adhered to the outer surface (28a) of the layer (28), and the carrier (52) is removed. Reflective metal back electrodes (20) are formed on the insulating layer (30) in connection with the respective vias (49). A transparent front plate (14) having a transparent front electrode (16) formed thereon is adhered to the insulating layer ( 30) such that a sealed space (24) is defined between the electrodes (16,20) which is filled with liquid crystal material (26). Large scale integrated driver circuitry (38,40) is fabricated in the peripheral portion (28c) of the layer (28) laterally external of the plate (14) and is externally interconnected by via holes (28d,28e) and wirebonds (44,45).

Relective liquid crystal display including driver devices integrally

An electroluminescent display and method of fabricating the same is described in which an active driver panel (14) is integrated with a processed display panel (12) using a unique application of semiconductor wafer technology. A microelectronic driver circuit (32) and back electrode (34) are fabricated on a semiconductor wafer (30) to provide a panel for driving the display. Multiple driver circuits (32) and respective back electrodes (34) may be arranged on the wafer to form an active-matrix electroluminescent display. The display panel (12) includes a front electrode (18) and an adjacent phosphor panel (20) for illuminating the display. The driver panel (14) is adhered to the display panel (12) using either an indium bump connection or a thermal bond, which provide both mechanical and electrical coupling between the back electrodes (34) and the phosphor panel (20). Exposure of the active devices on the driver panel to destructive high processing temperatures inherent in display panel processing is avoided.

Electroluminescent display with integrated drive circuitry

A method and apparatus for protecting metal bumped chips during processing and for providing mechanical support to interconnected chips. A protective adhesive stop is affixed to a metal bumped chip so that the height of the stop is at least as high as the metal bump. The stop protects the metal bump during routine handling. When the chip is interconnected to another bumped chip by cold welding their respective metal bumps, the stop contacts the face of the second chip and provides mechanical support. The stop is preferably a thermoplastic that is heated to adhere it to the second chip. The addition of the protective stop facilitates automated processing of metal bumped chips, and provides stronger, faster, and lower power chips.

Growing community of inventors

San Marcos, CA, United States of America

Ronald L Williams