What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for catalyzing a reaction on a substrate comprising:
a light source;
a micromirror positioned to redirect light from said light source toward said substrate;
a computer connected to, and controlling, said micromirror; and
a reaction chamber is placed in the path of light redirected by said micromirror, wherein light that is redirected by said micromirror catalyzes a chemical reaction proximate said substrate in said reaction chamber.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light source is a UV light.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light source produces visible light.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a lens between said micromirror and said substrate.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said lens id further defined as a lens system, and wherein said lens system can change the magnification of light reflected by said micromirror.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said micromirror is further defined as a micromirror array.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a diffusion lens between said light source and said micromirror.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light interacts with a novolak resin proximate said substrate to produce a photoresist pattern.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light catalyzes the synthesis of a nucleotide base proximate said substrate.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light catalyzes the synthesis of an amino acid residue proximate said substrate.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light catalyzes a reaction involving a molecule proximate said substrate.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light crosslinks a molecule proximate said substrate.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a reaction chamber disposed about said substrate;
one or more reactant lines connected to said reaction chamber;
one or more reaction chemicals connected to said reactant lines; and
a computer connected to, and controlling, the supply of said one or more reaction chemicals to said reaction chamber via said reactant lines.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said one or more of said reaction chemicals is involved in a chemical reaction when exposed to light.
15. An apparatus for catalyzing a reaction on a substrate comprising:
a light source;
a micromirror positioned to redirect light from said light source toward said substrate;
a reaction chamber disposed about said substrate;
one or more reactant lines connected to said reaction chamber;
one or more reaction chemicals connected to said reactant lines; and
a computer connected to, and controlling, said micromirror and the supply of said one or more reaction chemicals to said reaction chamber via said reactant lines, wherein a light catalyzable reaction occurs proximate to the site where light produced by said light source and redirected by said micromirror strikes said substrate.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light source is a UV light.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light source produces visible light.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light source is a xenon lamp, or a mercury lamp, or a laser or a combination thereof.
19. The apparatus of claim 15 further a lens system comprising:
a diffusion lens between said light source and said micromirror; and
a lens between said micromirror and said substrate.
20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said micromirror is further defined as a micromirror array.
21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light interacts with a novolak resin proximate said substrate to produce a photoresist pattern.
22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light catalyzes the synthesis of a nucleotide base proximate said substrate.
23. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light catalyzes the synthesis of an amino acid residue proximate said substrate.
24. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light catalyzes a reaction involving a molecule proximate said substrate.
25. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said light crosslinks a molecule proximate said substrate.
26. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a total internal reflection mirror disposed in a position to redirect light from said light source into said micromirror and from said micromirror array toward said substrate.
27. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said substrate is mounted on a movable platform that can be controlled via a computer to allow for multiple repetitive exposures of said substrate to light reflected by said micromirror.
28. A method of patterning on a substrate comprising the steps of:
generating a light beam;
illuminating a micromirror with said light beam;
redirecting said light beam with said micromirror onto a substrate; and
catalyzing a light sensitive reaction proximate to the surface of said substrate using said redirected light beam in a predetermined pattern.
29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of controlling, using a computer, said micromirror.
30. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of redirecting said light beam is accomplished using a micromirror array.
31. The method of claim 28 wherein said illuminating light beam is further defined as a UV light.
32. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:
obtaining a substrate; and
depositing a novolak resin on said substrate prior to redirecting said a light beam to pattern said photoresist.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of catalyzing a light sensitive reaction proximate to the surface of said substrate is further defined as patterning a photoresist disposed proximate said substrate.
34. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:
positioning said substrate with a reaction chamber;
flooding said substrate with a light catalyzable reaction chemical; and
exposing said light catalyzable reaction chemical to light using said micromirror to catalyze a chemical reaction at the site where light strikes said substrate.
35. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of catalyzing a light sensitive reaction proximate to the surface of said substrate is further defined as the synthesis of a nucleotide base proximate said substrate.
36. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of catalyzing a light sensitive reaction proximate to the surface of said substrate is further defined as the synthesis of an amino acid residue proximate said substrate.
37. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of catalyzing a light sensitive reaction proximate to the surface of said substrate is further defined as involving a molecule proximate said substrate.
38. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of catalyzing a light sensitive reaction proximate to the surface of said substrate is further defined as crosslinking a molecule proximate said substrate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-3. (canceled)
4. A sensing pad comprising:
a sensing structure that includes:
a layer of force-sensing ink; and
a pair of electrodes coupled to the ink layer; and
a transmitter coupled to the electrodes, for transmitting a signal to a remote reader.
5. The sensing pad of claim 4, wherein the ink layer is between the electrodes.
6. The sensing pad of claim 5, wherein the electrodes are planar electrodes.
7. The sensing pad of claim 4, further comprising:
a substrate; and
an adhesive layer that adhesively couples the sensing structure to the substrate.
8. The sensing pad of claim 4, further comprising circuitry and a power source operatively coupled to the transmitter and the electrodes.
9. The sensing pad of claim 8, wherein the transmitter, the circuitry, and the power source are parts of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.
10. The sensing pad of claim 4, as part of an item detection system.
11. The item detection system of claim 10, further comprising the reader for receiving signals from the sensing pad.
12. The item detection system of claim 10, wherein the item detection system includes multiple sensing pads.
13. The item detection system of claim 12, in combination with a shelf upon which the sensing pads are placed.
14. A method of detecting items at a specified location, comprising:
placing a sensing pad at the specified location; and
receiving a signal from the sensing pad when an event occurs regarding an item pressing against the sensing pad.
15. The method of claim 14,
wherein the placing includes placing a sensing pad that includes a force-sensing ink layer between a pair of electrodes; and
wherein the force-sensing ink layer changes electrical characteristics when the item is pressed against the sensing pad.
16. The method of claim 15,
wherein the sensing pad includes a transmitter operatively coupled to the electrodes; and
wherein the transmitter is configured to send the signal when the event occurs regarding an item pressing against the sensing pad.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensing pad includes circuitry and a power source operatively coupled to the transmitter.
18. The method of claim 17,
wherein the transmitter, the circuitry, and the power source are parts of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device; and
wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein the specified location includes a chair.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving includes receiving the signal at an inventory tracker.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the specified location includes a shelf.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the specified location includes a protrusion.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the specified location includes a shopping cart.
24. The method of claim 14, wherein the placing includes adhesively attaching the sensing pad to an object.
25. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving includes receiving a signal indicating placement of the item on the sensing pad.
26. The method of claim 14,
wherein the placing includes placing plural sensing pads at respective specified locations; and
wherein the receiving includes receiving signals from the plural sensing pads.
27. The method of claim 14, wherein the placing the sensing pad includes placing multiple sensing pads on a shelf.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving includes receiving a signal indicative of a total weight of items on the shelf.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving includes receiving a pad-specific signal, indicative at which of the pads the event occurs.
30. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving includes receiving a signal indicative of a total number of the items on the sensing pad.
31. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving includes receiving a signal indicative of a total weight of the items on the sensing pad.