KURT RICHARD MULLER
Pilots at Creamery Rd, East Fishkill, NY

5416512, May 16, 1995

Dec 23, 1993

8/173400

Douglas Y. Kim - Poughkeepsie NY
Kurt R. Muller - Hopewell Junction NY

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

H04N 718

348126

A calibration system for circuit inspection tools in which analog threshold levels are automatically set by digital signals. The inspection too includes an optical detector system that provides video signals to channels each containing an analog processor. In the analog processor an analog reference signal, an analog video inspection signal which may contain a defect indication and a digital threshold signal are employed. The digital threshold signal is converted into an analog threshold signal which is summed with the analog reference signal that has been inverted. The inverted, thresholded reference signal is then summed with the analog video signal. The summed analog video signal and thresholded reference signal is compared with a zero level. If the sum is greater than zero a defect is indicated.

5220617, Jun 15, 1993

Sep 4, 1991

7/754793

Kenneth A. Bird - New Paltz NY
Douglas Y. Kim - Poughkeepsie NY
Stephen J. Kish - Hyde Park NY
Julius J. Lambright - Hopewell Junction NY
Kurt R. Muller - Hopewell Junction NY
Lawrence D. Thorp - Yorktown Heights NY

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G06K 900

382 8

A method and apparatus for the inspection and handling of surface level defects is taught. Briefly stated, the object to be inspected is positioned. A Laser light is polarized into at least one orientation and then reflected off of a rotated polygon mirror. This causes the light to "move" over the area of interest. A plurality of fiber optic bundles are used to receive and conduct the reflected light back to photomultipliers. The photomultipliers convert the light into electrical signals while associated electronics digitize the signals, keeping track of pixels which are produced. By keeping track of pixel edge boundaries and determining if certain thresholds are exceeded or not met as appropriate, the area of interest can be checked for a variety of defects. By comparison of the defects to a reference base, the defects and hence the items inspected can be categorized.

6310685, Oct 30, 2001

Jul 20, 1999

9/357506

Robert L. Baan - Wallkill NY
James O. Goring - Staatsburg NY
David Scott Graboski - Wappingers Falls NY
John R. Lankard - Poughkeepsie NY
Kurt R. Muller - Hopewell Junction NY
Raymond H. Turcotte - Hopewell Junction NY

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G01N 2101, G01N 2188

356244

A green sheet holding apparatus includes a first member secured to a first edge of the green sheet and a second member moveable relative to the first member, the second member being secured to a second edge of the green sheet. A forcing mechanism, connected to the second member and to the first member, forces the second member away from the first member such that the first edge and the second edge of the green sheet are forced away from each other and the green sheet is flattened. The holding apparatus may be included in a green sheet inspection system, wherein the inspection system further includes a light source directing a light onto the green sheet and a camera detecting light from the green sheet. The invention also includes a method of holding a green sheet, which includes securing the first edge of the green sheet to a first member, securing the second edge of the green sheet to a second member, and forcing the second member away from the first member. This method pulls the first edge and the second edge of the green sheet outwardly, thereby flattening the green sheet.

5760943, Jun 2, 1998

Jun 28, 1996

8/672884

Douglas Yongshik Kim - Poughkeepsie NY
Karl Otto Muggenburg - Salt Point NY
Kurt Richard Muller - Hopewell Junction NY

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G02B 2608

359208

An optical system for a beam scanning apparatus comprises a laser beam, a cylindrical first lens, a scanning mirror rotatable about an axis for deflecting and scanning the focused energy beam and a concave, toroidal mirror adapted to deflect the focused energy beam from the rotating mirror and collimate the beam. The toroidal mirror has a radius in a major axis equal to the focal length of the first lens and a radius in a minor axis equal to twice the focal length of the first lens, and is spaced from the first mirror a distance equal to the focal length of the first lens. Preferrably, the axis of rotation of the scanning mirror is non-orthogonal with respect to the direction of the beam from the first lens.

5216485, Jun 1, 1993

Sep 4, 1991

7/754794

Kenneth A. Bird - New Paltz NY
Douglas Y. Kim - Poughkeepsie NY
Stephen J. Kish - Hyde Park NY
Julius J. Lambright - Hopewell Junction NY
Kurt R. Muller - Hopewell Junction NY
Lawrence D. Thorp - Yorktown Heights NY

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

G01N 2188

356394

A method and apparatus for the inspection and handling of surface level defects is taught. Briefly stated, the object to be inspected is positioned. A Laser light is polarized into at least one orientation and then reflected off of a rotated polygon mirror. This causes the light to "move" over the area of interest. A plurality of fiber optic bundles are used to receive and conduct the reflected light back to photomultipliers. The photomultiplers convert the light into electrical signals while associated electronics digitize the signals, keeping track of pixels which are produced. By keeping track of pixel edge boundaries and determining if certain thresholds are exceeded or not met as appropriate, the area of interest can be checked for a variety of defects. By comparison of the defects to a reference base, the defects and hence the items inspected can be categorized.