System and method for dispensing liquids

• US 6,926,929 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Inc.
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sreenivasan, Sidlgata V., Choi, Byung-Jin, Watts, Michael P. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARKER, FREDERICK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/191,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 427/96, 427256-288, 4272071-2088, 427421-427, 700239-241, 118/688, 118/691, 118695-697, 118/707
• US Class Current: 427/256
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/24 for applying particular liquids or other fluent materials
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a system to dispense a liquid, contained in a cartridge, onto a substrate employing a dispensing system under control of a processor in data communication with a memory.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing a liquid, contained in a cartridge, onto a substrate, employing a dispensing system under control of a processor in data communication with a memory, said method comprising:

associating an identification code with said cartridge, defining a verifiable identification code, said verifiable identification code including data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristic data;

receiving, from a user, a request to activate said dispensing system and permit dispensing of said liquid, with said request including said verifiable identification code and data concerning said user, defining user data;

comparing said verifiable identification code and said user data to a database containing historical information concerning said user, with said historical information including identification codes of cartridges previously associated with said user, defining historical identification codes that include historical data concerning characteristics of liquids contained in said cartridges previously associated with said user;

generating a requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data; and

transmitting said requested authorization code to said user to facilitate activation of said dispensing system in furtherance of dispensing said liquid.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further including storing, in said memory, an embedded authorization code and comparing said embedded authorization code with said requested authorization code and activating said dispensing system in response to ascertaining that said embedded authorization code and said requested authorization code match.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said verifiable characteristic data includes a chemical description of said liquid.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further including shielding said liquid from ultra violet radiation.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user data and said historical information further includes a personal identification number, with comparing said verifiable identification code further includes comparing said personal identification number in said user data with said personal identification number contained in said historical information, and generating further includes generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said personal identification number in said user data matches said personal identification number contained in said historical information and said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user data and said historical information further includes information that uniquely identifies said dispensing system, defining a system identifier, with comparing the said verifiable identification code further includes comparing the system identifier included in said user data with the system identifier included in said historical information, and generating further includes generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said system identifier included in said user data matches said system identifier included in said historical information and said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user data includes an additional identification code associated with an additional cartridge, containing an additional liquid, coupled to said dispensing system, with said additional identification code including data concerning additional characteristics associated with said additional liquid, with comparing said verifiable identification code further including comparing said additional identification code with said verifiable identification code and generating further includes generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data and said additional characteristics.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein transmitting said requested authorization code to said user further includes producing an audible signal to said user that includes said requested authorization code.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein transmitting said requested authorization code to said user further includes propagating computer readable information of a wide area network to said processor that includes said requested authorization code.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further including providing a substrate, lying in a plane, and said dispensing system with a nozzle system that defines a dispensing axis along which said liquid propagates, and selectively moving said nozzle system between a dispensing position and a cleaning position, with said dispensing axis extending transversely to said plane with said nozzle system being in said dispensing position and said dispensing axis extending parallel to said plane when said nozzle system is in said cleaning position.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 further includes providing a substrate, providing said dispensing system with a nozzle and providing a cleaning system having a cleaning chamber, with said cleaning system and said substrate connected to move in and out of proximity to said nozzle to selectively place said nozzle in said cleaning chamber.

12. A method for dispensing a liquid, contained in a cartridge, onto a substrate, employing a dispensing system under control of a processor in data communication with a memory, said method comprising:

associating an identification code with said cartridge, defining a verifiable identification code, said verifiable identification code including data concerning characteristics of said liquid, defining verifiable characteristic data, said verifiable characteristic data including a chemical description of said liquid;

storing, in said memory, an embedded authorization code;

receiving, from a user, a request to activate said dispensing system and permit dispensing of said liquid, with said request including said verifiable identification code and data concerning said user, defining user data;

comparing said verifiable identification code and said user data to a database containing historical information concerning said user, with said historical information including identification codes of cartridges previously associated with said user, defining historical identification codes that include historical data concerning characteristics of liquids contained in said cartridges previously associated with said user;

generating a requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data;

transmitting said requested authorization code to said user to facilitate activation of said dispensing system in furtherance of dispensing said liquid; and

comparing said embedded authorization code with said requested authorization code and activating said dispensing system in response to ascertaining that said embedded authorization code and said requested authorization code match.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said user data and said historical information further includes a personal identification number, with comparing said verifiable identification code further includes comparing said personal identification number in said user data with said personal identification number contained in said historical information, and generating further includes generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said personal identification number in said user data matches said personal identification number contained in said historical information and said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said user data and said historical information further includes information that uniquely identifies said dispensing system, defining a system identifier, with comparing the said verifiable identification code further includes comparing the system identifier included in said user data with the system identifier included in said historical information, and generating further includes generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said system identifier included in said user data matches said system identifier included in said historical information and said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said user data includes an additional identification code associated with an additional cartridge, containing an additional liquid, coupled to said dispensing system, with said additional identification code including data concerning additional characteristics associated with said additional liquid, with comparing said verifiable identification code further including comparing said additional identification code with verifiable identification code and generating further includes generating said requested authorization code in response to ascertaining that said historical data matches said verifiable characteristic data and said additional characteristics.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein transmitting said requested authorization code to said user further includes producing an audible signal to said user that includes said requested authorization code.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein transmitting said requested authorization code to said user further includes propagating computer readable information of a wide area network to said processor that includes said requested authorization code.

18. The method as recited in claim 12 further including providing a substrate, lying in a plane, and said dispensing system with a nozzle system that defines a dispensing axis along which said liquid propagates, and selectively moving said nozzle system between a dispensing position and a cleaning position, with said dispensing axis extending transversely to said plane with said nozzle system being in said dispensing position and said dispensing axis extending parallel to said plane when said nozzle system is in said cleaning position.

19. The method as recited in claim 12 further includes providing a substrate, providing said dispensing system with a nozzle and providing a cleaning system having a cleaning chamber, with said cleaning system and said substrate connected to move in and out of proximity to said nozzle to selectively place said nozzle in said cleaning chamber.

20. The method as recited in claim 12 further including shielding said liquid from ultra violet radiation.