Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7173235 | Apparatus for optically reading target In an apparatus for optically reading a target based on a light reflected from the target, a light source has a first optical axis and operates to emit light. An imaging optical system has a second optical axis. The imaging optical system is arranged so that the ref... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7071460 | Optical non-contact measuring probe An optical non-contact measuring probe for measuring small changes in distance to a target comprises a laser diode (12) coupled to a projecting fiber (14), a receiving fiber (32) spaced a fixed distance from the projecting fiber, and a linear ar... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7042172 | Systems and methods for providing illumination in machine vision systems A lighting system associated with a machine vision system. The machine vision system may direct lighting control commands to the lighting system to change the illumination conditions provided to an object. A vision system may also be provided and associated with the... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6998600 | Multifrequency ultra-high resolution miniature scanning microscope using microchannel and solid-state sensor technologies and method for scanning samples A miniature, ultra-high resolution, and color scanning microscope using microchannel and solid-state technology that does not require focus adjustment. One embodiment includes a source of collimated radiant energy for illuminating a sample, a plurality of narrow ang... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6631000 | Device and procedure for the quality control of in particular finished surfaces The present invention relates to a device and a procedure for the quality control of in particular finished surfaces wherein the device comprises at least one illuminating means having at least one light source, its light directed at a predetermined angle... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6627910 | Precipitation sensor A precipitation sensor has a prism bonded to a front windshield, a beam transmitter, and a beam receiver. The prism has an entry-side prism wall, a connection wall, and an exit-side prism wall. The entry-side prism wall of the prism parallelizes light tra... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6624597 | Systems and methods for providing illumination in machine vision systems One embodiment is a lighting system associated with a machine vision system. The machine vision system may direct lighting control commands to the lighting system to change the illumination conditions provided to an object. A vision system may also be pro... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6590663 | Reflectometer A reflectometer, comprising an illuminator in a 45°/0° configuration with a light source formed by a lamp and an illuminator optic. Light emitted by the lamp is passed after reflection via a measuring opening into a housing and supplied to a measuring s... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6072175 | Microscope using micro-channel filter A microscope formed from an image sensor placed against a microchannel filter so that there is one to one correspondence between the sample and the sensor, effectively enlarging the image.... | 06/06/2000 |
| 5886265 | Optical vibration sensor An optical vibration sensor includes a built-in blade provided with a system for reflecting light, a system for directing light onto the reflecting system, system for collecting the light reflected by the reflecting system and a system for analyzing the i... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5835649 | Light directing and collecting fiber optic probe A fiber-optic probe is formed by a pair of optical fibers one of which delivers light to a target zone and the other collects light from a field of view in the target zone. One of these fibers is provided with a window that opens substantially perpendicul... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5828448 | Method and apparatus for distinguishing between defects in an optical fiber coating The present invention provides an optical detection system for detecting defects in an optical fiber. The system includes a light source for coupling light into the secondary coating of an optical fiber at a preselected angle with respect to the longitudi... | 10/27/1998 |
| 5786891 | Method and apparatus for detecting defects in an optical fiber coating The present invention provides an optical detection system for detecting defects in an optical fiber. The system includes a light source for coupling light into the secondary coating of an optical fiber at a preselected angle with respect to the longitudi... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5770852 | Plate scanning device having light funnels with an adjustable aperture A plate scanning device for measuring diffused or reflected light is provided. The plate scanning device includes a longitudinally extending silicon sensor strip and at least one light source extending substantially parallel to the sensor strip. Adjustabl... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5701181 | Fiber optic diffuse light reflectance sensor utilized in the detection of occult blood A fiber optic diffuse light reflectance sensor is disclosed. The sensor employs illumination optical fibers to carry light emitted from a high-intensity, narrow bandwidth LED to a baffle in a readhead where the optical fibers reflect the light off of a re... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5640246 | Apparatus for measuring reflected light utilizing spherically arranged optical fibers A portable scatterometer and/or an angular radiated light measurement instrument that uses a measurement head which includes a double tapered fiber optic bundle with a concave front face to simultaneously collect partial or full hemispherically scattered ... | 06/17/1997 |
| 5426713 | Fiber optic probe with truncated cone window block for infrared spectral analysis instrument In a fiber optic probe for an infrared analysis instrument, a window block made of sapphire is provided having an inner face in the shape of a truncated cone. A fiber optic cable has its distal end adjacent to the inner face of the window block and the op... | 06/20/1995 |
| 5345335 | Optically butted electro-optical components In an imaging system having at least two optically butted CCD sensors disposed in angular relation to each other and onto which light images are projected by means of a light beam splitter, the correct spacial position of the sensors is determined providi... | 09/06/1994 |
| 5221839 | Double bevel gradient-index rod lens optical receiver having high optical return loss A gradient-index (GRIN) rod lens for use in an optical receiver, in which the end face of the GRIN rod lens opposite a photodetector is bevelled. The resulting optical receiver achieves an optical return loss which is >10 dB higher than known optical rece... | 06/22/1993 |
| 5185638 | Computer controlled, multiple angle illumination system The illumination system as a part of an optical inspection system, the total inspection system itself, and the method of illuminating and inspecting a workpiece. The illumination system is computer controlled as to a level of intensity and adjustable as t... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5178465 | Optical fiber laying structure for electric power cable line trouble occurrence location detecting system In an optical fiber laying structure for an electric power cable line trouble occurrence location detecting system for detecting a trouble occurrence location by laying an optical fiber along an electric power cable line, the portion of the optical fiber ... | 01/12/1993 |
| 5179424 | Optoelectronic apparatus for the remote measuring of a physical magnitude An optoelectronic apparatus for the remote measuring of a physical magnitude which comprises two light sources emitting luminous fluxes centered on two different wavelengths and means for controlling the alternate operation of these light sources. A senso... | 01/12/1993 |
| 5166756 | Powder fiber optic probe having angled end in NIR optical analyzing instrument In an optical instrument for infrared spectral analysis of powder, an improved fiber optic probe is provided. Fiber optics carry light to and from the probe and the fiber optics terminate in the probe in a fiber optic endface. A sapphire rod is positioned... | 11/24/1992 |
| 5164603 | Modular surface inspection method and apparatus using optical fibers An apparatus 10 for inspecting the surface of an object S moving in the direction of travel 23 relative to the apparatus comprises a modular sensing head assembly 11 including a plurality of sensing head modules 12, 13, each of which includes a number of ... | 11/17/1992 |
| 5146082 | Image detecting unit having emitting means and light receiving means and method for arranging the light emitting means and the light receiving means An image detecting unit includes a light emitting system for emitting a light beam which is projected onto a surface of a document and a light receiving system for receiving a light obtained by a reflection of the light emitted from the light emitting sys... | 09/08/1992 |
| 5063781 | Fiber-optic vibration sensor The sensor comprises a vibrating sheet (1), mechanically connected to the body (5A) to be analyzed, and an optical triangulation recording system for recording the displacements of the movable part of the sheet, in particular the free end (1B) opposite to... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5059784 | Optical mask filter capable of reducing the semiperiodic component of temporal variation in endpoint detection A mask for reducing a semiperiodic variation of an output signal produced in response to a semiperiodic temporal variation of a distribution of radiation incident on the input of a detector. The mask can have a transmitance that changes abruptly at an out... | 10/22/1991 |
| 5028769 | Device for reading a mold code on a glass bottle Apparatus for reading code elements which are relieved from a container. A source of light projects normally at the code elements while the container is rotated to sequentially illuminate each of the code elements. A sensor receives light which is reflect... | 07/02/1991 |
| 4996418 | Wide range fiber optical displacement sensor A fiber optical displacement sensor having a wider range of measurable distances and displacements. The fiber optical displacement sensor includes collimation device, attached to ends of projecting and receiving optical fibers, for collimating a projectio... | 02/26/1991 |
| 4991971 | Fiber optic scatterometer for measuring optical surface roughness A method and apparatus for measuring scattered light reflectance. The apparatus comprises a plurality of individual light transmitting fibers having first receiving ends positioned at different angular locations about an object to be tested and second exi... | 02/12/1991 |
| 4943157 | Fiber optic triangulation gage Methods and apparatus for determining the curvature of a surface by use of multiple discrete triangulation sensors are described. Robustness in the face of an extreme manufacturing environment is achieved by placing a triangulation light source and a dete... | 07/24/1990 |
| 4929041 | Cathodoluminescence system for use in a scanning electron microscope including means for controlling optical fiber aperture An improved cathodoluminescence light collection system for use in electron microscopes provides an optical fiber, the facet or aperture of which is positioned adjacent the sample. The cathodoluminescence light, collected by the optical fiber in this mann... | 05/29/1990 |
| 4929828 | Inspecting glass containers for line-over finish defects with bifurcated fiber optic bundle Apparatus for detecting line-over defects at the finish of a glassware container. A bifurcated fiber optic bundle includes sender and receiver fiber branches; one of the branches terminates at a modulated visible red high intensity LED light source, the o... | 05/29/1990 |
| 4924087 | Optic fiber buffer defect detection system A fiber optic buffer defect detection system including a laser, for illuminating the fiber buffer with a collimated beam of light energy, and detectors for detecting any scattering of the beam, from a defect in the fiber buffer. The detectors are mounted ... | 05/08/1990 |
| 4916309 | Appliance for converting reflectance measuring instrument into a transmittance measuring instrument An appliance for converting an optical reflectance measuring instrument into a transmittance measuring instrument is shaped to fit in the aperture of a probe of the reflectance measuring instrument. When used as a reflectance measuring instrument, reflect... | 04/10/1990 |
| 4914284 | Optical wide angle sensor head An optical wide angle sensor head for directionally sensing optical radiation is made of a plurality of individual sensor optical elements. Each sensor optical element is arranged at an input end of its own fiber optical conductor and has its own light en... | 04/03/1990 |
| 4914291 | Gimbal angle detector An apparatus for detecting deflection of the spin axis of a gimbal supported spinning mass relative to the gimbal axis comprises four equally spaced linear arrays of detector elements mounted around the gimbal axis and extending parallel to that axis. Fou... | 04/03/1990 |
| 4910402 | Apparatus and method for measuring a property of a liquid An apparatus for measuring a property of a liquid comprises at least one guide for electromagnetic radiation, means for directing electromagnetic radiation into the guide, means for providing at least one drop of liquid in contact with the guide at a posi... | 03/20/1990 |
| 4910395 | Optical tracking sensor including a three-sided prismatic light splitter An improvement to a precise optical tracking system is described. The system is comprised of a three-sided transparent pyramid with a sharp vertex. The pyramid is used to split the incident beam into three parts, which are transmitted to respective photod... | 03/20/1990 |
| 4906837 | Multi-channel waveguide optical sensor An optical sensor for monitoring the motion and/or position of a moving element. One preferred embodiment of the optical sensor (50) includes a soda lime silicate glass substrate (52) in which a plurality of transmit waveguide channels (54), (56), and (58... | 03/06/1990 |
