An on-chip inductor device for Integrated Circuits utilizes coils on a plurality of metal layers of the IC with electrical connectors between... Show moreAn on-chip inductor device for Integrated Circuits utilizes coils on a plurality of metal layers of the IC with electrical connectors between the coils and a magnetic core for the inductor of stacked vias running between the coils. The magnetic core is made from a series of stacked vias which are deposited between each metal layer of the IC having a coil. The magnetic core desirably includes an array of magnetic bars comprising the magnetic core. The via material of the magnetic core may be both magnetic and electrically conductive. The magnetic and electrically conductive via material may also be used for the planar coil electrical connectors or other electrically conductive parts of the IC, or both, thereby lessening fabrication steps. Films of magnetic material may be formed at the ends of the inductor to provide a closed magnetic circuit for the inductor. A high Q factor inductor of small (e.g., transistor) size is thus obtained. The materials and processes which enable the on-chip inductor device are compatible with ordinary IC fabrication methods. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
The technique and arrangement of distributed, real time, intelligent control of welding including IR detection and measurement of process... Show moreThe technique and arrangement of distributed, real time, intelligent control of welding including IR detection and measurement of process conditions, and controlling process parameters in view of a knowledge base including a predetermined rule set for interpreting the results of IR detection. The arrangement includes a multilevel communication scheme internally and between hardware nodes of the arrangement, and the data-driven scheduling of inference processes under direction of a semantic network. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A transducer for generating and detecting surface elastic waves in a non-piezoelectric material may include an interdigital electrode array... Show moreA transducer for generating and detecting surface elastic waves in a non-piezoelectric material may include an interdigital electrode array coupled to a piezoelectric crystal. The crystal is mechanically coupled to the non-piezoelectric material through an acoustical transmissive medium. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A method for detecting an enhanced image of an object by independently analyzing, detecting, digitizing, and combining images acquired on a... Show moreA method for detecting an enhanced image of an object by independently analyzing, detecting, digitizing, and combining images acquired on a high and a low angle side of a rocking curve of a crystal analyzer. An x-ray beam generated by a line x-ray source is collimated by a crystal monochromator including two non-matching crystals to form an x-ray area beam. The x-ray area beam is transmitted through an object to be imaged and onto an image detector and the image is digitized. The digitized images are simultaneously solved, preferably on a pixel-by-pixel basis, to derive an enhanced image which has dramatically improved contrast and spatial resolution over an image acquired through conventional radiology methods. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method of making a molded biodegradable food receptacle product including the steps of grinding up non-toxic agricultural waste plant... Show moreA method of making a molded biodegradable food receptacle product including the steps of grinding up non-toxic agricultural waste plant material like soy, rice, oat and wheat hulls into particles having a range of sizes so that, if compressed in a mold, the smaller particles substantially fill the spaces between the much larger ones. Where necessary, there is added to the particles a natural and biodegradable binder-forming material, like an edible vegetable oil which will bind like a food receptacle the particles together to form a leak-proof receptacle, when inserted into a mold and compressed by the mold walls at elevated temperatures will produce compact well bound together particles. Without any chemical or physical pretreatment of the ground particles and particle-binder feed mix, the unpretreated mix, with or without small amounts of coloring, aromatic or foaming agents, is fed into a pressure-applying mold. The initial pressure and temperature preferably squeezes inherent binding-forming oils from the preferably seed hulls which freely flow through the mix. The high pressure is then partially reduced and the mold temperature is elevated to maximize the binding action of the binder materials as they solidify. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A nodal apparatus for sending and receiving digital data in multiple data slots has a transmitter for transmitting a request for multiple data... Show moreA nodal apparatus for sending and receiving digital data in multiple data slots has a transmitter for transmitting a request for multiple data slots during a control minislot. A conflict resolution queue representative of nodal apparatus sending substantially simultaneous requests for transmission resulting in a collision in a minislot is maintained and stored in a memory. A transmission queue representative of nodal apparatus that have successfully transmitted in a minislot and can be queued for data slot transmission is stored in memory. The transmitter sends multiple data slots signals comprising multiple slots of digital data in response to the transmission queue. A receiver receives multiple data slots signals comprising digital data. A high priority transmission queue may also be stored in memory. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A bolt having a shank and integral head has a strip of photoelastic material mounted in the head for manifesting in the form of photoelastic... Show moreA bolt having a shank and integral head has a strip of photoelastic material mounted in the head for manifesting in the form of photoelastic fringes linearly related to bolt tension the bending stresses created in the head during loading of the bolt. To determine the tension in the bolt during or after loading, polarized light is directed toward the photoelastic strip and reflected light from the strip is analyzed to measure fringe order. The fringe order is related to the amount of bending stresses in the head of the bolt by a predetermined calibration curve, the bending stresses being linearly related to bolt tension. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
Ionic contact is established and maintained between electrodes and soil in ohmic heating of a subsurface formation for recovery of volatile... Show moreIonic contact is established and maintained between electrodes and soil in ohmic heating of a subsurface formation for recovery of volatile and semi-volatile materials, such as hazardous waste, hydrocarbon-like materials, and valuable minerals having thermally responsive properties. A compressed, dry sponge is wrapped around an electrode, which is then inserted into a bore hole. A conductive liquid is added to the bore hole, causing the sponge to swell, creating a stable and substantial interface for the flow of heating currents. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
The invention is to a method of operating a power supply system comprising the steps of discharging at least one cell element of a battery... Show moreThe invention is to a method of operating a power supply system comprising the steps of discharging at least one cell element of a battery module to produce a quantity of power and a quantity of heat; absorbing at least a portion of the heat in a phase change material in thermal contact with the discharging cell element; following discharge, releasing at least a portion of the heat from the phase change material to heat the at least one cell element; and discharging the at least one cell element at elevated temperature. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method for on-off modulation of a transmitter coil current of a high-Q resonant circuit transmitter comprising the steps of sensing a zero... Show moreA method for on-off modulation of a transmitter coil current of a high-Q resonant circuit transmitter comprising the steps of sensing a zero-crossing of the transmitter coil current and substantially instantaneously interrupting the transmitter coil current, and a high-Q resonant circuit transmitter for carrying out said method. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology Sponsorship: United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services United States Patent Show less