Patent highlights

11 Aug 2005

The pick of this week's patents including a mirrorball-based laser device that deters birds from landing.

•  Title: Lithography system using a programmable electro-wetting mask
Applicant: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, The Netherlands
International application number: WO 2005/064399

A programmable, electro-wetting mask devised by engineers at Philips could help reduce the set-up cost of optical lithography by allowing chip makers to perform several masking steps with the same unit. Described in patent application WO 2005/064399, the mask includes an array of fluid-filled pixels that are activated by applying an electric field. Additional benefits of the lithographic mask include the ability to label integrated circuits with, for example, a number or the date and time of processing.

•  Title: Method and apparatus for increasing a perceived resolution of a display
Applicant:Texas Instruments, US
International application number: WO 2005/067637

Texas Instruments has developed a digital micro-mirror to increase the perceived resolution of a display. The device works by optically dithering two versions of an image sampled at slightly different points. "The human eye perceives both images as being displayed at the same time, resulting in an effective doubling of the display resolution," say the authors of patent application WO 2005/067637. The micromirror control scheme uses a step pulse followed immediately by a 'quench' pulse to minimize overshoot or ringing motion and enable smooth viewing.

•  Title: Method and device providing an easy way to deter birds from landing
Applicant:Dim Arizot Ltd, Israel
International application number: WO 2005/067378

Mirrorball

An Israeli team thinks it has found an easy way to deter birds from landing. Featuring a series of laser sources and a multidirectional reflector, also known as a mirrorball, the unit projects light towards the bird and causes the creature to change direction. According to the authors of patent application WO 2005/067378 the unit causes no permanent harm to the bird.