Patent US5087610A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5087610A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Switchable superconducting elements and pixels arrays
Assignee: TROY INVESTMENTS Inc A CORP OF NH
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Filing: 1989-02-22
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Granted: 1992-02-11
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Expires: 2009-02-22
Abstract
Abstract An array of superconducting elements in which each element can be quenched into the nonsuperconductive or normal state independently at will. The array can be used to form spatially and temporally variable images or for forming spatially and temporally variable magnetic fields. The array is controlled in the form of a network of electrically interconnected superconducting elements in which a given element is quenched if and only if two independent parameters are applied to the element simultaneously.
Inventors
- 👤 Aharon Z. Hed
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 15:48
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F9/00; G09F9/30; G09F9/37; G09F9/375; H; H10; H10N; H10N60/00; H10N60/80; H10N60/84; H10N69/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S505/00; Y10S505/725; Y10S505/727
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A multielement control or display device, comprising: an array of discrete flat, intrinsically continuous superconductive elements in mutually parallel rows and, orthogonal to aid rows, in mutually parallel columns and constituting individual pixels of said array, each of said superconductive elements being composed of a material having a critical temperature below which the superconductive element is in a superconductive state and above which the superconductive element is in a nonsuperconductive state and a critical current density below which said superconductive element is in said superconductive state and above which the superconductive element is in said nonsuperconductive state, said superconductive elements also switching between said states upon application of a critical magnetic field, whereby applied current traversing said elements, applied temperatures of said elements and applied magnetic fields affecting said elements form state-changing parameters of said elements; and means for selectively applying at least one of said parameters to at least selected ones of said elements to quench said selected ones of said elements to provide selected directly optically discernible patterns of said pixels of said array.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
A multielement control or display device, comprising: an array of discrete flat, intrinsically continuous superconductive elements in mutually parallel rows and, orthogonal to aid rows, in mutually parallel columns and constituting individual pixels of said array, each of said superconductive elements being composed of a material having a critical temperature below which the superconductive element is in a superconductive state and above which the superconductive element is in a nonsuperconductive state and a critical current density below which said superconductive element is in said superconductive state and above which the superconductive element is in said nonsuperconductive state, said superconductive elements also switching between said states upon application of a critical magnetic field, whereby applied current traversing said elements, applied temperatures of said elements and applied magnetic fields affecting said elements form state-changing parameters of said elements; and means for selectively applying at least one of said parameters to at least selected ones of said elements to quench said selected ones of said elements to provide selected directly optically discernible patterns of said pixels of said array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
137 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 1 wherein said means for selectively applying at least one of said parameters to at least selected ones of said elements comprises: means for applying at least one of said parameters to a plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements; and means for applying to at least some of said columns a magnitude of at least one of said parameters sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states but insufficient to switch unprimed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said elements are of the same geometrical outline.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are of a round shape.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are of a polygonal shape.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are primed by applying a current to said plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows as said one of said parameters at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are primed by applying energy to raise the temperature of said plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows as one of said parameters at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are primed by applying a magnetic field to said plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows as said one of said parameters at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are switched by applying a current as said parameter of a magnitude sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states but insufficient to switch unprimed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are switched by applying a magnetic field as said parameter of a magnitude sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states but insufficient to switch unprimed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 3 wherein said elements are switched by applying a temperature raising energy as said parameter of a magnitude sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states but insufficient to switch unprimed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
136 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively applying at least one of said parameters to at least selected ones of said elements comprises: means for applying at least two of said parameters to a plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows at magnitudes insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements; and means for applying to at least some of said columns a magnitude of at least one of said parameters sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states but insufficient to switch unprimed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
166 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively applying at least one of said parameters to at least selected ones of said elements comprises: means for applying at least one of said parameters to a plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements; and means for applying to at least some of said columns magnitudes of at least two of said parameters sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states but insufficient to switch unprimed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states, said magnitudes of each of said at least two parameters being insufficient individually to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
92 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said at least one of said parameters applied to a plurality of said elements of at least one to said rows at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements, and said at least one of said parameters sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states are applied simultaneously to said array.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
95 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said at least one of said parameters applied to a plurality of said elements of at least one of said rows at a magnitude insufficient to switch the elements of said row from one of said states to the other of said states, thereby priming said plurality of elements, and said at least one of said parameters sufficient to switch the primed elements from said one of said states to the other of said states are applied successively to said array in any order.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2, further comprising coincidentally switchable isolation circuits isolating the rows of elements from one another.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 16, further comprising coincidentally switchable isolation circuits isolating the columns of elements from one another.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein all of the elements of each of said rows are connected electrically in series and all of the elements of each column are electrically isolated from the other elements to the respective column.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said elements are mirrors which are transformed from a reflective mode corresponding to the respective superconductive state to a nonreflective mode corresponding to said nonsuperconductive state.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said elements are positioned to modulate magnetic fields.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said elements are positioned to control a diamagnetic colloid.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The multielement control or display device defined in claim 2 wherein said array forms a display.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-10 | 1995-08-12 | 1996-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-10 | 1999-08-12 | 2000-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-02-10 | 2003-08-12 | 2004-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |