Technology commercialization is an important step in translating discoveries into new products and services that benefit the public good. Inventions by faculty in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are listed below.
Michael Langberg, Department of Electrical Engineering, August 13, 2019
Name: Michael Langberg
Department: Electrical Engineering
Patent Number: US 10,379,945B2
Date: August 13, 2019
Title: Asymmetric error correction and flash-memory rewriting using polar codes
Inventors: Eyal En Gad, Pasadena, CA (US); Yue Li, Pasadena, CA (US); Joerg Kliewer, Newark, NJ (US); Michael Langberg, Clarence, NY (US); Anxiao Jiang, College Station, TX (US); Jehoshua Bruck, La Canada, CA (US)
Assignees: California Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University system
Description: Flash memories are by far the most important non-volatile memories (NVMs). Billions of flash memories are used in mobile, embedded and mass-storage systems because of their high performance and physical durability. One of the main challenges in the design of coding schemes for storage on flash memory devices lies in the asymmetry of flash cells in which there is a high cost associated with the operation of reducing a cell value when compared to that of increasing its value. We explore novel coding technology for storage on flash memory devices that overcomes this challenge. Our schemes are resilient to errors, are computationally efficient, and do not require the significant overhead of additional resources that appear in competing technologies.
Jonathan Bird, Department of Electrical Engineering, July 23, 2019
Name: Jonathan Bird
Department: Electrical Engineering
Patent Number: U.S. 10,361,292 B2
Date: July 23, 2019
Title: Magneto-electric logic devices using semiconductor channel with large spin-orbit coupling
Inventors: Dmitri E. Nikonov, Christian Binek, Xia Hong, Jonathan P. Bird, Kang L. Wang, Peter A. Dowben
Assignees: Intel Corp., The Research Foundatioin for the State of New York, Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, The Regents of the University of California
Description: This patent describes a new class of transistors that exhibit enhanced performance over existing silicon technology. The devices operate by exploiting the special properties of electrons known as their “spin”, a property that allows high-speed, low-power, and non-volatile operation of transistors. These devices therefore address some of the critical challenges faced by the semiconductor industry, as it seeks to continue shrinking transistors to ever smaller scales.
Michael Langberg, Department of Electrical Engineering, March 5, 2019
Name: Michael Langberg
Department: Electrical Engineering
Patent Number: US 10,225,036
Date: March 5, 2019
Title: Communication Systems and methods of communicating utilizing cooperation facilitators
Inventors: Parham Noorzad, Michelle Effros, Michael Langberg
Assignees: California Institute of Technology and The Research Foundation for SUNY
Abstract: We explore the possibility of enhancing communication systems with a novel technology allowing independent encoders to cooperate prior to their outgoing transmissions. Several forms of cooperation have been previously considered in the literature, with the property that the benefit in cooperation does not exceed the "price" of establishing the cooperation links (the latter measured in cooperation rate). Our technology suggests a novel form of cooperation, through a so-called cooperation facilitator (CF), that has access to (partial) source information and has the ability to send (low rate) cooperation information to the encoders prior to their outgoing transmissions. A CF can potentially be implemented in real world systems by utilizing available network resources. Using our cooperation scheme, extremely-low rate connectivity between the CF and the encoders can significantly increase the overall achievable rate of the communication system; resulting in a technology in which the benefit in cooperation significantly out-weights its cost.
Jonathan Lovell, Department of Biomedical Engineering, October 2, 2018
Name: Jonathan Lovell
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Patent Number: US 10,086,074 B2
Date: October 2, 2018
Title: Compositions and method for light triggered release of materials from nanovesicles
Inventors: Jonathan Lovell, Ravindra Pandey, Kevin Carter and Shuai Shao
Assignees: The Research Foundation for SUNY and Health Research, Inc.
Abstract: Provided are compositions comprising porphyrin-phospholipid nanovesicles (PoP-NVs) which can be loaded with cargo. Methods for release of cargo from the PoP-NVs triggered by near infrared (NIR) light are also disclosed.
Albert Titus, Department of Biomedical Engineering, March 20, 2018
Name: Albert Titus
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Patent Number: US 9,921,251
Date: March 20, 2018
Title: Microfabricated calorimeter for RF power measurement
Inventors: Joel D. Meltzer, Albert H. Titus, Bilel Neji, and Jing Xu
Assignees: Bird Technologies Group Inc., Solon, Ohio and The Research Foundation for SUNY
Description: The patent discloses a radio frequency (RF) power calorimeter which is used to make RF power measurements. RF power is a frequently measured quantity because other RF electrical quantities like current, voltage, and impedance are difficult to measure and quantify in RF equipment. At low frequencies, power measurement is made by interpretation of voltage and current across a known impedance. However, at higher frequencies, such as RF frequencies, the impedance changes significantly and therefore direct measurement of power is not feasible. Accordingly, a need exists for a handheld RF power meter that is insensitive to an RF signal's frequency or waveform.
Traditionally, handheld RF power meters have directly measured RF power by directly transducing high frequency RF power into a DC signal, such as by using a Schottky or Gallium-Arsenide diode, and measuring the DC signal. However, the accuracy of meters using these traditional direct measurement techniques are sensitive to the measured RF signal's frequency and waveform. A calorimeter is a device that uses heat as a means to make a measurement. In this case, the heat is generated by RF signals to be measured, and the heat is then converted into a voltage (or current) that corresponds to the original RF signal independent of its frequency or waveform.
The patented device enables RF power measurement using a microfabricated device that can have lower losses than traditional methods and thus be more accurate.
If you have obtained a U.S. Patent for your technology and are not listed, please send the patent document to seascomm@buffalo.edu.
See the SEAS Patent Award policy for more information.