Deeply-integrated adaptive GPS-based navigator with extended-range code tracking
Patent # U.S. 6,331,835; Date Issued: December 18, 2001

A system and method for generating a multidimensional navigation solution utilizes Global Positioning System (GPS) data to obtain highly reliable and accurate navigational solutions in high interference and dynamic environments, at a performance level which has been heretofore unattainable. Additional sensors such as inertial (gyros and accelerometers), altimeters, radars, etc. may be employed in a deeply integrated configuration. The approach taken in the present invention differs from that of previous techniques through its exploitation of nonlinear filtering methods; as a result, the navigation system architecture and processes employed yield significant improvements in navigation system performance, both in code tracking and reacquisition, and in carrier tracking and reacquisition. The improvements are particularly significant at low signal/noise ratios, where conventional approaches are especially susceptible to loss of code lock or carrier lock.

Ferroic transducer
Patent # U.S. 6,323,580; Date Issued: November 27, 2001

An interdigitated electrode ferroic transducer includes a film of ferroic material electrically polarized substantially in the plane of the film; and a set of interdigitated electrodes including at least two electrodes spaced from one another on the same side of the film and disposed at the termini of the polarization field.

Method and apparatus for sealing a chip carrier and lid
Patent # U.S. 6,318,621; Date Issued: November 20, 2001

A chip carrier and lid are sealed by mounting the chip carrier in an inverted position and mounting a lid having a sealing preform in an inverted position beneath and facing the chip carrier. The chip carrier and lid are then heated to melt the sealing preform and the chip carrier and lid are moved together to join them at the sealing preform.

Electron bombarded active pixel sensor
Patent # U.S. 6,285,018; Date Issued: September 4, 2001

A low light level system is described wherein electrons, created by images directed to a photocathode, directly bombard active pixel sensors. Both the active pixel sensors and the output end of the photocathode are positioned in a vacuum envelop. The electron released from the photocathode are directed to and at the active pixel sensors. The output of the active pixel sensor detector may be stored, viewed or displayed at a remote location. Various applications are described including a novel camera.

Integrated circuit header assembly
Patent # U.S. 6,281,572; Date Issued: August 28, 2001

An integrated circuit (IC) header subassembly includes a spacer mounted to the header. The IC die assembly, consisting of an IC die or IC die carrier assembly, is mounted to spacer which is mounted to the header. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the spacer is selected to be between the coefficient of thermal expansion of the IC die assembly and the header minimize stresses due to thermal expansion and contraction. In addition, the spacer is substantially smaller in width and length and the IC die assembly and the header whereby the IC die assembly appears to be pedestal mounted. By minimizing the length of the contacting surfaces between the spacer and the IC die assembly, the risk of warping or cracking due to differences in thermal expansion can be reduced. This allows for much larger IC dies and pixel arrays to be used.

Temperature compensated oscillating accelerometer with force multiplier
Patent # U.S. 6,269,696; Date Issued: August 7, 2001

A temperature compensated oscillating accelerometer with force multiplier includes a support substrate; a tuning fork suspended above the substrate; a primary anchor device connected between the tuning fork and substrate; a proof mass having an input axis; a force multiplier interconnected between the proof mass and the tuning fork; and a force multiplier anchor connected to the substrate and disposed at approximately the same area along the input axis as the primary anchor for offsetting the opposing effects of thermal expansion and stiffness in response to variations in temperature.

Method and apparatus for sealing a chip carrier and lid
Patent # U.S. 6,261,866; Date Issued: July 17, 2001

A chip carrier and lid are sealed by mounting the chip carrier in an inverted position and mounting a lid having a sealing preform in an inverted position beneath and facing the chip carrier. The chip carrier and lid are then heated to melt the sealing preform and the chip carrier and lid are moved together to join them at the sealing preform.

Microfabricated tuning fork gyroscope and associated three-axis inertial measurement system to sense out-of-plane rotation
Patent # U.S. 6,257,059; Date Issued: July 10, 2001

A micromechanical tuning fork gyroscope has an input axis out of the plane of the structure. In one embodiment, capacitor plates are provided in parallel strips beneath two apertured, planar proof masses suspended from a substrate by a support structure. The proof masses are paired and set in opposed vibrational motion by an electrostatic comb drive. In response to an input angular rate about the out-of-plane input axis, the proof masses translate with respect to the striped capacitors, thereby varying the capacitance between the capacitor strips and the proof masses as a function of the input rate. In another embodiment, proof mass combs of a comb drive are meshed between fixed drive combs which are electrically excited in pairs 180.degree. out of phase. As the proof masses translate in response to an angular input, the distance between the proof mass combs and the fixed combs varies, thereby varying the capacitance between the combs resulting in an unbalanced voltage on the proof masses that is detected as an indication of input rate. The out-of-plane tuning fork gyroscope can be combined with two in-plane tuning fork gyroscopes to provide a complete three-axis inertial measurement unit from a single wafer or on a single chip.

Active tremor control
Patent # U.S. 6,234,045; Date Issued: May 22, 2001

An active tremor control system for stabilizing against alternating perturbations includes: an inertial sensor for sensing angular motion about a first axis of an object induced by alternating perturbations; an inertial mass independent of the object; and an actuator coupled to the object and the mass and responsive to the inertial sensor for selectively applying a torque to the object representative of the sensed angular motion such that the angular motion about the first axis induced by the perturbation is cancelled, the actuator concurrently applying a reactive torque, equal and opposite to the to the applied torque, to the mass.

Microcavity apparatus and systems for maintaining a microcavity over a macroscale area
Patent # U.S. 6,232,546; Date Issued:. May 15, 2001

A microcavity apparatus and systems for maintaining microcavity spacing over a macroscopic area. An application of this invention is a microscale generator. This microscale generator includes a first element for receiving energy; a second element, opposite the first element for transferring energy; at least one panel on either of the first element or the second element, the panel facing the other element; a device for controlling the distance between the at least one panel and the facing element to form a predetermined, sub-micron gap between the panel and the facing element for increasing energy transfer to the element for receiving; and a device, responsive to the energy transfer, for generating electricity.

Low thermal strain flexure support for a micromechanical device
Patent # U.S. 6,230,567; Date Issued: May 15, 2001

A low thermal strain flexure support for a micromechanical device includes a substrate; a micromechanical device having a rotational axis and a longitudinal axis; an anchor structure disposed on the substrate proximate the longitudinal axis of the micromechanical device; first and second support members extending outwardly oppositely from the anchor structure; and first and second flexures extending inwardly in the direction of the axis of rotation of the micromechanical device from the first and second support members, respectively, to the micromechanical device for suspending the micromechanical device from the substrate.

Micro-shell transducer
Patent # U.S. 6,222,304; Date Issued: April 24, 2001

A micro-shell transducer includes a substrate; an electro-active medium mounted on the substrate and including an arched section spaced from the substrate defining a chamber between the substrate and arched section; and a pair of electrodes mounted on the medium for either applying an electric field across the medium for flexing the arched section or sensing the electric field generated by a flexure of the medium.

Method for attaching a die to a carrier utilizing an electrically nonconductive layer
Patent # U.S. 6,204,090; Date Issued: March 20, 2001

An integrated circuit (IC) die carrier assembly includes a thinned IC die mounted to a substrate or carrier. The IC die is mounted to the carrier via a thin layer of glass. The carrier facilitates fixturing and provides support during the lapping process used to thin the die. Ball bonding, wire bonding, thin film or thick film conductors can be used to interconnect the pads on the IC die to the pads on the carrier. The coefficients of the thermal expansion of the IC die and the carrier are closely matched to avoid damage to the IC die due to uneven expansion of the thinned IC die relative to the carrier. The IC die carrier assembly is better suited for ultrahigh vacuum and high temperature environments than conventional IC die carrier assemblies.

System and method for automatically executing decisional rules
Patent # U.S. 6,192,356; Date Issued: February 20, 2001

A system and method for automatically evaluating a decisional rule containing a task and a condition which must be fulfilled before the task can be performed and for automatically performing the task when or whenever the condition is fulfilled in which a decisional rule is entered into a computer, parsed, and then processed such that automatic and continuing iterative evaluations of whether the condition is fulfilled are provided until the condition is fulfilled and then the task associated with the decisional rule is automatically performed and whereby further processing is resumed only after the condition is fulfilled.

Micromachined membrane with locally compliant and stiff regions and method of making same
Patent # U.S. 6,168,906; Date Issued: January 2, 2001

A method of making a micromachined membrane having both stiff and flexible regions includes depositing a photoresist on a substrate; exposing the photoresist to actinic radiation through a mask to define openings having a first width in the photoresist in the stiff region and openings having a second width greater than the first width in the flexible region; developing the exposed photoresist to create the openings; etching the openings through the developed photoresist to create grooves in the substrate; and coating the substrate including the grooves with a film of material having a thickness greater than one half the first width and less than half of the second width to form adjacent contacting rigid corrugations in the stiff region and spaced compliant corrugations in the flexible region. Also disclosed is a micromachined membrane with a first region having as plurality of spaced nonintersecting corrugations being flexible in the direction transverse to the corrugations and a second region having a plurality of adjacent contacting intersecting corrugations being stiff in the plane of the intersecting corrugations and the direction transverse to the plane.