Superstar singer Michael Jackson co-patented a "Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion" in 1993.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7697127 | Method and system for angle measurement An angle measurement device includes a light source configured to emit light along an optical path and a patterned member positioned along the optical path and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. The patterned member includes a periodic optical variation... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7583375 | Self-compensating laser tracker A self-compensating laser tracker may include a frame assembly including a laser, and at least two-embedded, non-moveable, reflecting members; and a rotatable mirror. The laser and the mirror are arranged such that a laser beam emitted from the laser may be reflecte... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7511805 | Holographic test plate for positioning and aligning pipes A target plate (Z) according to the invention for positioning components, in particular pipes (R1, R2), has a holographic optical element as a holographic diffusor. By means of the diffusor, radiation striking the target plate (Z) in the form of a refe... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7466401 | Self-compensating laser tracker An apparatus and method for compensating a coordinate measurement machine is provided, which may be a laser-based coordinate measurement machine, laser tracker, or other coordinate measurement device. In one exemplary method, such compensation comprises self-compens... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7327446 | Self-compensating laser tracker An apparatus and method for compensating a coordinate measurement machine is provided, which may be a laser-based coordinate measurement machine, laser tracker, or other coordinate measurement device. In one exemplary method, such compensation comprises self-compens... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7323891 | Method of testing a semiconductor chip and jig used in the method A method of and testing jig for sequentially testing front and rear surfaces of a semiconductor chip is shown. The testing jig includes a support package having a first cavity over which the semiconductor chip mounts; an infrared filter affixed relative to the first... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7298468 | Method and measuring device for contactless measurement of angles or angle changes on objects The invention relates to a method for the contactless measurement of angles or angle modifications, distances or lateral displacements in objects. According to said method, an aperture is transilluminated by means of a ray bundle and after being reflected by a dista... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7221442 | Method and apparatus for aligning equipment in a steel mill An alignment device for aligning guiding apparatus with the main axis of a rolling mill comprising a camera and a video display communicating with the camera. The camera is mounted in the steel mill at the position of the guiding apparatus and the camera is moved un... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7177018 | Multiplex illuminator and device reader for microcantilever array A device reader having a multiplex illuminator, the illuminator, and methods for reading deflection of a large number of microcantilevers are provided. The illuminator includes a micro-optical subassembly for illuminating cantilevers (illuminator) that uses a plural... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7164474 | Apparatus and method for normalization of a drilling tool to a work surface The apparatus for normalization of a drilling tool to a work surface includes a light source, a beam splitter, and a screen. The beam splitter directs and the screen receives at least a portion of the light reflected off of the work surface. When the received light ... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7158241 | Method for calibration and certifying laser projection beam accuracy A system for certifying laser projection beam accuracy includes a certification fixture having a test pattern and a color background. The certification fixture is configured so that any portion of the laser projection beam reflected from the color background is refl... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7124676 | Muzzle reference system In systems embodying the invention, a battery powered collimated light source is located at the muzzle end of a cannon and is beamed back over the length āLā of the cannon gun tube to the collecting aperture of an optical transceiver located near the breech end ... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7119895 | Method of and apparatus for adjusting optical component, and optical unit An apparatus for adjusting an optical component has a reference beam unit for emitting a reference laser beam L whose optical axis has established, and an optical axis unit detecting the optical axis and focal point of a reflected beam La from a parabolic mirror to ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7099001 | Auto-collimator For detection of the inclination of the normal of a measurement-subject article, an auto-collimator applies a laser beam from a light source onto the measurement-subject article. Then, the return light reflected back from the measurement-subject article is concentra... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7042555 | Portable pipe tally system A portable laser system includes a laser unit and a target unit for measuring the length of a series of pipe assemblies. Either the laser unit or the target unit engages a threaded coupling at one end of the pipe assembly and the other unit engages external pipe thr... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6925218 | Control techniques and devices for an optical switch array Techniques and systems for controlling an optical switch array based on local and global optical monitoring and feedback controls. Each optical switch element includes a local optical monitoring mechanism to form a local feedback control to lock the switch element a... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6768553 | Continuous-zoom imaging device of interferometer The present invention provides a continuous-zoom imaging device of an interferometer. Reflected lights of a reference plane and a test plane interfere with each other to generate an interference pattern. A collimation device converts a parallel light of the interfer... | 07/27/2004 |
| 6668118 | Cylindrical lens alignment method A method for aligning an optical assembly, including the steps of emitting at least one beam from an emitter substantially along a first axis, disposing a cylindrical lens in said at least one beam to form at least one line image, wherein a longitudinal a... | 12/23/2003 |
| 6665064 | Electrooptical measurement device for ascertaining the relative position of bodies or of surface areas of these bodies To detect the relative position of bodies, surfaces or the like, especially those on machines, there is an optoelectronic sensor. The latter reacts to incident light, for example, monochromatic laser light. The available receiving surface is however compa... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6628405 | Optical angle finder and coaxial alignment device A method and an instrument are provided for checking and adjusting the accuracy of an alignment device which transmits a collimated (e.g. laser) light beam that serves as an alignment reference. That beam generator defines a precise reference for purposes... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6404485 | Rotation amount detecting system of deflection mirror for optical disc drive Disclosed is a rotation amount detecting system for detecting a rotation amount of a deflection mirror, which is rotatable about an rotation axis, employed in an optical disc drive. The rotation amount detecting system is provided with a light emitting sy... | 06/11/2002 |
| 5861946 | System for performing contact angle measurements of a substrate A system is provided for positioning a substrate having a surface required to be characterized with a contact angle measurement. The system includes a stage which supports the substrate and a dispenser assembly having a dispensing tip through which a liqu... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5694202 | Universal boresight tool for small arms weapons Boresighting apparatus that includes a multispectral reflective collimator combined with an adjustable rhomboid reflector that allows boresighting of any wavelength sighting, pointing, aiming or rangefinding device disposed on a small arms weapon. The bor... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5534689 | Device to check the setting of the position and orientation of a helmet with respect to the helmet wearer's head An instrument system to make settings and verify that the pupil of an eye of a wearer of a helmet designed to receive a piece of optoelectronic equipment itself having a pupil truly coincides with the wearer's pupil, wherein the instrument system includes... | 07/09/1996 |
| 5497228 | Laser bevel meter In a Laser Bevel Meter for measuring the angle of a bevel on a ski edge a laser beam reflects from a mirror mounted on a magnet. The mirror-magnet assembly is coupled to the ski edge and the reflected beam is coupled through a mirror tunnel to a calibrate... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5436721 | Wafer tilt gauge A wafer tilt gauge includes a base support, structure for temporarily connecting a slotted apparatus for holding wafers to the base support, a light beam target connected to the base support, and a light beam source connected to the base support. The vari... | 07/25/1995 |
| 5424830 | Method and apparatus for determining the facet angles of a gemstone A method and apparatus for determining the facet angles of a gemstone includes structure for rotatably mounting a gemstone along the optical axis of the gemstone. A collimated beam of light is directed toward a facet of the gemstone, such that the facet r... | 06/13/1995 |
| 5392111 | Method of measuring and adjusting optical axis of headlight An optical axis of a headlight is measured by disposing a lattice member in front of the headlight. The lattice member has a plurality of longitudinally elongated lattice holes which are arranged in a form of a matrix. An illuminated area and an illuminan... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5367372 | Method of and apparatus for measuring the geometric characteristics of nominally cylindrical guiding structures The method and the device are intended to measure the geometrical characteristics of components of optical communication systems comprising a body (1) with nominally cylindrical external surface and an internal element (2) nominally coaxial with body (1).... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5298966 | Measurement system A contact-free, optical measurement system for determining the precision with which an article rotates. A reflective surface is secured to a rotating surface and a light source, such as a laser, is disposed thereabove. A target is likewise secured in asso... | 03/29/1994 |
| 5276497 | Measuring apparatus of mirror surface An apparatus for measuring the deviation from a specific position of a mirror surface, includes an auto collimating system in which a point light source is located at a reference point on a reflecting surface of the mirror surface located at a predetermin... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5206706 | Alignment of an ellipsometer or other optical instrument using a diffraction grating Alignment method and procedure for accurately determining the off-normal angle of incidence of an optical beam with a sample, for example, in ellipsometry. A diffraction grating is fabricated with a grating period chosen such that, when a laser beam irrad... | 04/27/1993 |
| 5170220 | Method of regulating optical axes of headlights for automotive vehicle In a method of regulating optical axes of headlights for an automotive vehicle so that a light intensity boundary of low beam of headlights lies within a predetermined range displayed on a monitor TV, light intensity boundary points are detected along ver... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5080484 | Method of measuring the contact angle of wetting liquid on a solid surface The invention relates to a method of measuring the contact angle of wetting liquids on a solid surface with which a high measuring accuracy and better reproduceability of the measurement results is achieved. The method resides in that a laser beam is dire... | 01/14/1992 |
| 5080483 | All-reflective boresight transfer optical system The present optical system provides an all-reflective boresight transfer system. A reflective mechanism receives and reflects energy from an incoming collimated beam to focus it upon a target surface. The target surface absorbs and subsequently re-emits a... | 01/14/1992 |
| 5042945 | Lithographic mask structure and device for positioning the same A mask structure and a mask positioning device, executes accurate and quick positioning of a mask having a generally ring-like shape. The mask structure includes a supporting frame of a generally ring-like shape, and at least one flat surface formed by a ... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5029397 | Method of measuring a vehicular frame to determine alignment A method of measuring a vehicular frame to determine alignment, where measurements provided in the manufacturer's specifications are known. The method consists of the following steps. Firstly, establishing at least one reference point spaced from a vehicu... | 07/09/1991 |
| 4850668 | Gyroptic visual couplers A system for aligning an optical fiber termination to a light path is disclosed. Light coming through the fiber at its termination as well as light introduced into the light path from a laser are directed along the light path to a viewer. The placement of... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4844609 | Apparatus and method for aligning elements of a drive train of a vehicle, especially a heavy-duty, load-carrying vehicle The disclosure is of apparatus and method for detecting and correcting malalignment in the drive train of a vehicle, especially a heavy-duty, load-carrying vehicle, which drive train comprises a drive shaft articulated by a universal joint and a rear end ... | 07/04/1989 |
| 4840490 | Laser position measurement and alignment A laser beam (22) is used as a spacial reference and its position is measured relative to a target device (200A, 200B, 200C) mounted on a structure (210) being monitored (FIG. 6). The target device has two edges or slots which are moved to intersect the b... | 06/20/1989 |