1. A scanning system for transmitting collimated light along a light path including a fixed light path portion and a scanning light path portion, wherein the scanning light path portion is parallel to the fixed light path portion and is spaced from the fixed light path portion by an offset distance, and wherein the scanning system comprises:
a conveyor unit including a first surface and a second surface disposed to rotate in a fixed parallel relationship around a first axis, the first axis being parallel to the fixed light path portion, the first surface and the second surface being spaced apart by a predetermined distance and inclined at an angle relative relative to the first axis such that when said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said first surface, said collimated light is redirected by the first surface toward said second surface, and then redirected by said second surface along said scanning light path portion; and
a revolver unit including an orbiting element disposed to orbit around a second axis, the second axis being collinear with the fixed light path portion, and the orbiting element being disposed at said offset distance from the second axis.
2. The scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the revolver unit is arranged relative to said conveyor unit such that, when said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said first surface, said redirected collimated light on said scanning light path portion intersects said orbiting element.
3. The scanning system according to claim 2, further comprising means for rotating the conveyor unit and the revolver unit at a common rotational speed such that, while said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said first surface and said conveyor and revolver units are being rotated at said common speed, said collimated light redirected by said second surface along said scanning light path portion remains intersected with said orbiting element.
4. The scanning system according to claim 1,
wherein said orbiting objective comprises a microscope objective having an optical axis, and
wherein the revolver unit is arranged relative to said conveyor unit such that, when said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said first surface, said redirected collimated light on said scanning light path portion is collinear with the optical axis of the microscope objective.
5. The scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second surfaces comprise transparent surfaces such that when said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said first surface, said collimated light is refracted by the first surface toward said second surface, and then refracted by said second surface along said scanning light path portion.
6. The scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor unit comprises at least one solid optical element defining said first and second surfaces and arranged such that an intermediate light path portion between said first and second surfaces at least partially passes through said at least one solid optical element.
7. The scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second surfaces comprise reflective surfaces fixedly arranged such that when said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said first surface, said collimated light is reflected by the first surface toward said second surface, and then reflected by said second surface along said scanning light path portion.
8. The scanning system according to claim 1,
wherein said conveyor unit comprises:
a multifaceted optical element including a plurality of first reflecting surfaces,
a ring structure including a plurality of second reflecting surfaces surrounding said multifaceted optical element and positioned such that each of said first reflecting surfaces faces an associated second reflecting surface of the plurality of second reflecting surfaces, wherein said multifaceted optical element and said ring structure are disposed to rotate around the first axis in a fixed relationship, and
wherein the revolver unit comprises a plurality of orbiting elements disposed in a circular pattern around said second axis.
9. The scanning system according to claim 8, wherein the revolver unit is arranged relative to said conveyor unit such that each orbiting element of said plurality of orbiting elements is operably positioned to receive collimated light from a corresponding first reflecting surface and the associated second reflecting surface of said corresponding first reflecting surface, whereby when said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said corresponding first reflecting surface, said collimated light is reflected by the first reflecting surface to said associated second reflecting surface, and then reflected by said second reflecting surface along said scanning light path portion through said each orbiting element.
10. The scanning system according to claim 9, further comprising means for rotating the conveyor unit and the revolver unit at a common rotational speed such that, while said collimated light is directed along said fixed light path portion onto said corresponding first reflecting surface and said conveyor and revolver units are being rotated at said common speed, said collimated light redirected by said associated second reflecting surface along said scanning light path portion remains intersected with said each orbiting element.
11. The scanning system according to claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of orbiting elements comprises a microscope objective disposed such that each said microscope objective generates a focused light path portion that traces a curved path while said collimated light directed along said scanning light path portion remains intersected with said each microscope objective.
12. A large field, high resolution, high efficiency rotary microscope for generating a magnified image of a sample, the rotary microscope comprising:
a multiplexed scanning system for transmitting collimated light along a light path including a fixed light path portion and a scanning light path portion, wherein the scanning light path portion is parallel to the fixed light path portion and is spaced from the fixed light path portion by an offset distance, and wherein the scanning system includes:
a conveyor unit comprising:
a multifaceted optical element including a plurality of first reflecting surfaces disposed to rotate around a first axis, the first axis being parallel to and non-collinear with the fixed light path portion, and
a ring structure disposed to rotate around the first axis in a fixed relationship with said multifaceted optical element, said ring structure including a plurality of second reflecting surfaces surrounding said multifaceted optical element and positioned such that each of said first reflecting surfaces is parallel to and faces an associated second reflecting surface of the plurality of second reflecting surfaces, wherein said collimated light reflected by one of said first reflecting surfaces and its associated second reflecting surface between said fixed light path portion and said scanning light path portion; and
a revolver unit comprises a plurality of orbiting microscope objectives disposed in a circular pattern around a second axis, the second axis being collinear with the fixed light path portion, wherein the plurality of orbiting microscope objectives are disposed at said offset distance from the second axis; and
a positioning mechanism for moving the sample under the revolver unit.
13. A large field, high resolution, high efficiency laser ablation apparatus for ablating material from a surface of a sample, the laser ablation apparatus comprising:
a laser disposed to direct the collimated light along a fixed light path portion; and
a multiplexed scanning system for transmitting collimated light along a light path from a wherein the scanning system includes:
a conveyor unit comprising:
a multifaceted optical element including a plurality of first reflecting surfaces disposed to rotate around a first axis, the first axis being parallel to and non-collinear with the fixed light path portion, and
a ring structure disposed to rotate around the first axis in a fixed relationship with said multifaceted optical element, said ring structure including a plurality of second reflecting surfaces surrounding said multifaceted optical element and positioned such that each of said first reflecting surfaces is parallel to and faces an associated second reflecting surface of the plurality of second reflecting surfaces, wherein said collimated light directed along the fixed light path portion is reflected by one of said first reflecting surfaces to its associated second reflecting surface, and by said associated second reflecting surface along a scanning light path portion, wherein the scanning light path portion is parallel to the fixed light path portion and is spaced from the fixed light path portion by an offset distance; and
a revolver unit comprises a plurality of orbiting elements that are disposed in a circular pattern around a second axis, the second axis being collinear with the fixed light path portion, wherein the plurality of orbiting elements are disposed at said offset distance from the second axis; and
a positioning mechanism for moving the sample under the revolver unit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A hand-held electronic device, comprising:
a case having one or more major surfaces;
a touch screen disposed on at least one of the major surfaces;
a processor operably coupled to the touch screen; and
one or more tactile pixels disposed proximate the touch screen, wherein each of the one or more tactile pixels includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor, wherein the actuator is coupled to the processor, wherein the actuator is configured to actuate in response to instructions from the processor and wherein the sensor is configured to generate signals as inputs to one or more programs executed by the processor when pressure is applied to the actuatable portion, wherein the actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator between first and second positions in response to execution of one or more instructions by the processor, wherein a tactile feel of the actuatable portion in the first position is different from the tactile feel of the actuatable portion in the second position.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more tactile pixels are located on the same major surface of the case as the touch screen.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more tactile pixels are located on a side edge of the case proximate the major surface on which the touch screen is disposed.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the case includes a beveled edge between a side edge and the major surface on which the touch screen is disposed, wherein the one or more tactile pixels are located on the beveled edge.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured such that the one or more of the tactile pixels are positioned to provide tactile feedback to a user andor receive input from a user in response to a predetermined state of the touch screen.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the device is configured such that a particular one or more of the one or more of the tactile pixels selectively actuate to mark an endpoint of scrolling of an image displayed on the touch screen.
7. The device of claim 5 wherein the device is configured such that a particular one or more of the one or more tactile pixels vibrate in response to the change in state of the touch screen.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein a frequency of vibration of the particular one or more of the one or more tactile pixels is related to a state of a gesture made with the touch pad.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured such that the one or more of the tactile pixels are positioned to provide tactile feedback to a user andor receive input from a user in response to a gesture entered with the touch pad.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured such that a particular one or more of the one or more of the tactile pixels are positioned to act as buttons associated with specific command inputs to the device.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein the touch screen is configured to display information identifying the specific command inputs proximate the particular one or more tactile pixels.
12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to register a change in orientation of the device.
13. The device of claim 12 wherein the device is configured such that a particular one or more of the one or more of the tactile pixels actuate between the first and second positions in response to a change in orientation of the device.
14. The device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to be used as game device, phone, portable media player, email device, web browser device or navigation device.
15. The device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to be used as a game device and wherein the devices is configured to change a state of the one or more tactile pixels in response to a change in a game state or game event.
16. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface adapted to facilitate communication between the device and one or more other devices.
17. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured such that a state of the one or more tactile pixels changes in response to a change in state of one or more other devices in communication with the hand-held electronic device.
18. An electronic device, comprising:
a touch screen disposed on a major surface of the electronic device;
a processor operably coupled to the touch screen; and
wherein the touch screen comprises an array of tactile pixels, wherein each of the tactile pixels in the array includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor, wherein the transducer is coupled to the processor, wherein the actuator is configured to actuate in response to instructions from the processor and wherein the sensor is configured to generate signals as inputs to one or more programs executed by the processor when pressure is applied to the actuatable portion, wherein the actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator between first and second positions in response to execution of one or more instructions by the processor, wherein a tactile feel of the actuatable portion in the first position is different from the tactile feel of the actuatable portion in the second position.
19. A method for operating a hand-held device having a touch screen and one or more tactile pixels disposed proximate the touch screen, wherein each of the one or more tactile pixels includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor, wherein the actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator between first and second positions, wherein a tactile feel of the actuatable portion in the first position is different from the tactile feel of the actuatable portion in the second position, the method comprising:
tracking user input with the touch screen;
determining a state of the touch screen;
changing a state of the one or more tactile pixels in response to detection of a predetermined state of the display.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein tracking the user input includes tracking motion of a user’s finger with the touch screen.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein determining the state of the touch screen includes determining whether the user has entered a particular gesture on the touch screen.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein the user input to the touch screen corresponds to user input to a video game.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the predetermined state reflects a change in state of the video game or one or more particular game events.
24. The method of claim 19 wherein the predetermined state corresponds to a change in state of one or more other devices in communication with the hand-held device.
25. The method of claim 19 wherein the hand-held device includes a title sensor and the predetermined state corresponds to a change in state of the tilt sensor.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein changing the state of the tactile pixels includes selectively actuating one or more particular pixels in response to a tilting of the hand-held device sensed by the tilt sensor in a way that simulates a bubble level.
27. The method of claim 19 wherein changing the state of the tactile pixels includes selectively actuating one or more particular pixels such that they can be felt by a user and configuring the particular pixels to act as a scroll wheel for the hand-held device.
28. The method of claim 19 wherein changing the state of the tactile pixels includes selectively actuating one or more particular pixels proximate a command shown on the touch screen such that the one or more particular pixels can be felt by a user and configuring the particular pixels to act as a button to execute the command with the hand-held device.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising vibrating the one or more particular tactile pixels.
30. The method of claim 19 wherein changing the state of the tactile pixels includes selectively actuating one or more particular pixels such that the one or more particular pixels can be felt by a user when the user reaches a scroll limit with the touch screen.