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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8094323 | Displacement encoder including phosphor illumination source A position sensing optical encoder includes an illumination source that operates by providing primary radiation having a first level of intensity uniformity to saturate at least a portion of a relatively broad phosphor area including uniformly distributed phosphor. ... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8081321 | Scanning unit of an optical position measuring arrangement and position measuring arrangement having this scanning unit A scanning unit, by which a scale, which is movable in relation to the scanning unit in a measuring direction, can be optically scanned. The scanning unit including a detector arrangement and a transparent support having a first surface and a second surface, wherein... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8040530 | Automatic geometric calibration using laser scanning reflectometry Systems and methods for calibrating a solid-imaging system (10) are disclosed. A calibration plate (110) having a non-scattering surface (140) with a plurality (150) of light-scattering fiducial marks (156) in a periodic array is d... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7903262 | Optical position measuring arrangement A position measuring arrangement including a scale connected with a first object, wherein the scale includes a reference marking and a plurality of graduated areas, which are arranged a periodically in the measuring direction and have different optical properties. R... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7903263 | Position detection sensor A position detection sensor is provided and includes: a scale including a self-emitting part that emits light to form a pattern on the scale; and a relative movable part provided in such a manner to be opposed to the scale and to be movable relative to the scale, th... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7659996 | Relative position detection device and detector for rotary body and image forming apparatus including the relative position detection device This patent specification describes a relative position detection device and a detector for a rotary body and an image forming apparatus including the relative position detection device. The relative position detection device includes a scale comprising a pattern co... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7515281 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method A lithographic apparatus includes a displacement measuring system configured to measure the position of a substrate table in at least three degrees of freedom. The displacement measuring system includes a first x-sensor configured to measure the position of the subs... | 04/07/2009 |
| RE40676 | Scanner unit for an optical position measuring device A scanning unit for an optical position measuring device, which is suited for optically scanning a scale graduation, to produce positionally dependent scanning signals on the basis of scale graduation. The scanning unit includes a carrier element, at least one optoe... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7483154 | Position detecting device, liquid ejecting apparatus and method of cleaning smear of scale A position detecting device, includes a light emitting portion that includes a light emitting surface which emits light, a light receiving portion that includes a light receiving surface which receives the light from the light emitting portion, a scale that is arran... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7435946 | Mark detector using multiple light beams for use in a displacement detector and an image forming apparatus A mark detector to detect a plurality of marks which are arranged in a predetermined cycle on a moving member, such as a photo conductor belt, a transfer belt, a paper conveyance belt, a photo conductor drum, a transfer drum, etc. especially in an image forming appa... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7435945 | Optical configuration for imaging-type optical encoders A displacement measuring device including a scale, and an optical readhead including an index pattern and a light receiving element is provided. A bright/dark pattern arising from a scale grating is detected by the readhead to measure displacement. In various embodi... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7430484 | Signal processing method and apparatus for use in real-time subnanometer scale position measurements with the aid of probing sensors and beams scanning periodically undulating surfaces such as gratings and diffraction patterns generated thereby, and the like An improved signal processing method and apparatus are presented for use in real-time sub-nanometer scale position measurements with the aid of probing sensors and/or beams scanning periodically undulating surfaces such as a grating and diffraction patterns generate... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7423768 | Scanning unit for a position measuring system for the optical scanning of a scale and position measuring system utilizing such a scanning unit A scanning unit for a position measuring system for the optical scanning of a scale, the scanning unit including a light source for transmitting light in a direction toward a section of a scale and a detector for receiving light modified by the scale. A lens arrange... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7414238 | Optical encoder device for small-sized motor and method of producing the same An optical encoder device for a small-sized motor has a code wheel attached to a motor shaft which extends to the exterior of the motor through a bearing accommodated in a bearing-retaining section provided on an end bell of the motor, and a board on which a photose... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414736 | Position measuring arrangement and method for controlling scanning signals of the position measuring arrangement A method for controlling a scanning signal of a light-electric position measuring arrangement, the method includes in a first mode of operation providing the scanning signal to a control device and the control device comparing an amplitude of the scanning signal wit... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7400412 | Co-ordinate measuring instrument A co-ordinate-measuring instrument is provided with a translumination device which includes at least one illumination body and an image processing sensor system which is provided with a lens measuring along an optical axis. In order to perform high-accuracy measurem... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7394062 | Displacement-measuring optical scale and optical encoder using same When a convex lens 13 comes close to 0-th order transmitted light T0 with rotation of an optical scale 11, the 0-th order transmitted light T0 derived from a light beam L emitted from a light source 15 and transmitted through a dif... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7389595 | Position-measuring device and method for operating a position-measuring device A position-measuring device is for determining the position of two objects which are arranged displaceably with respect to each other in at least one measuring direction, and a method is for the operation of such a position-measuring device. The position-measuring d... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7385179 | Optical encoder for measuring displacement At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an optical encoder which includes a first diffraction grating having a desired optical effective aperture ratio at an appropriate gap position so as to eliminate and/or reduce high-harmonic components from the light i... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7385178 | Reflective encoders with various emitter-detector configurations Optical encoders having one or more of a number of disclosed features are disclosed. The features of the optical encoder in accordance with the present invention include a symmetrical (for example, circular) emitter; baffle between the emitter and a detector; double... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7381942 | Two-dimensional optical encoder with multiple code wheels An exemplary Two-Dimensional Optical encoder (“2-D Encoder”) described herein includes a light emitter and a light detector array. The light detector array includes at least one band of light detectors arranged on at least one diagonal of an X-Y grid having an X... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7378643 | Optical projection encoder with patterned mask An Optical Projecting Encoder (“OPE”) having an emitter module for transmitting emitted optical radiation through a mask to a moving object, and a detector module for receiving reflected optical radiation from the moving object. The reflected optical radiation f... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7362452 | Method of adjusting the operating region of a tool component to a pre-determined element The invention describes a method of positioning an image field of, for example, an electron microscope at a specific structure in a regular grid of nominally identical structures. Such structures can, for example, be memory cells on a chip. Such memory cells nowaday... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7360703 | Laser scanning system for object monitoring A laser scanner is located in a fixed position to have line-of-sight access to key features of monitored objects. The scanner rapidly scans pre-programmed points corresponding to the positions of retroreflecting targets affixed to the key features of the objects. Th... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7358481 | Reflective encoder with three-dimensional code carrier An encoder having a code pattern on a carrier and an emitter detector module is disclosed. The code pattern includes alternating reflective and opaque regions on a carrier that includes a planar surface. The emitter-detector module includes a light source that gener... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7348574 | Position measurement system and lithographic apparatus A position measurement system for measuring a position of an object is described, the system including: a first incremental measurement unit for measuring a first number of first distance steps in a distance between a reference frame and the object, wherein the firs... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7342671 | Sensor head of reflective optical encoder A sensor head is used with a scale having a periodic optical pattern to constitute a reflective optical encoder. The sensor head includes a light source which emits a light beam applied to the scale, a photodetector which detects a light beam reflected and modulated... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7336816 | Method and apparatus for measuring shape of bumps The present invention provides a bump shape measuring apparatus comprising an illumination optical system which illuminates bumps arranged on a board with illumination light of a low tilt angle to a surface of the board; a detection optical system where reflected li... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7332729 | System and method for multiple electron, ion, and photon beam alignment A beam column array included alignment marks within to enable alignment of beams with respect to each other. Specifically, the array includes an array of beam columns, each column having at least once lens. A plurality of alignment marks are located beneath the lens... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7332709 | Photoelectric encoder A photoelectric encoder includes a light source of an illumination light beam. The encoder also includes a movable grating which has grating lines and which is displaceable in a direction intersecting the grating lines. An index grating serves as a reference for dis... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7329858 | Optical encoder and electronic equipment having same An optical encoder includes a mobile object having a plurality of aligned slits, a light-emitting portion for emitting light toward the mobile object, and a light-receiving portion 103 for receiving the light which has passed the mobile object. The light-rece... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7317531 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. In one embodiment, a method for determining overlay between a plurality of first structures in a first layer of a sample and a plurality of second structur... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7309855 | Reflective encoder with light shield and electronic device using such reflective encoder A reflection encoder is disclosed having a light emitting element in a light receiving element that are separated by a light shielding body that prevents unwanted light from entering the light receiving element. In variations of the invention, the light shielding bo... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7304295 | Method and system of detecting eccentricity and up/down movement of a code wheel of an optical encoder set A system and method of measuring a rotational motion of a code wheel measures a rotational movement of the code wheel including an error component due to a non-rotational movement of the code wheel; measures the non-rotational movement of the code wheel; and produce... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7301142 | Optical encoder photodetector array with multiple resolutions A photodetector for an optical encoder has plural sets of segmented photodiodes, each set of which is made by two adjoining segmented photodiodes capable of coping with a scale slit having a reference resolution. Output lines of the two adjoining segmented photodiod... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7301634 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, an in... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7292325 | Method and apparatus for determining absolute angle and torque with optical detection module The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining an absolute angle and torque with an optical detection module, in which the absolute angle and the torque are determined on the basis of measurements including marked waveforms at both ends of a... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292312 | Lithographic apparatus and method for calibrating the same Lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table and a motion control system for controlling a movement of the substrate table. The motion control system includes at least 3 position detectors constructed for detecting a position of the substrate table. For measuri... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7289213 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclose is a combined scatterometry mark comprising a scatterometry critical dimension (CD) or profile target capable of being measured to determine CD or profile information and a scatterometry overlay target disposed over the scatterometry CD or profile target, t... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289229 | Optical displacement-measuring instrument An optical displacement-measuring instrument of a reflection type includes a sensor head movable above a scale in a direction of measurement. This instrument is of a three-grating type that comprises a first optical grating arranged close to a light source, a second... | 10/30/2007 |
