Xerox Canada isssued US patent for graphene nano-sheets

The Xerox Research Centre Canada (XRCC), founded in 1974, was issued its 2000th patent for an invention dubbed “Graphene Nano-Sheets and Methods for Making the Same” (U.S. Patent 8,734,683). Two hundred times stronger than steel, graphene is a thin, flexible conductor that could form the basis of a whole range of next generation devices such as ultrafast transistors that will dramatically increase the processing speed of a personal computer, smartphone or tablet.

Hailed as the “miracle material” in the world of electronics and photonics, Xerox scientists are exploring materials such as graphene for use in digital manufacturing to make smart 3D structures that support the Internet of Everything.

XRCC researchers Yiliang Wu and Sandra Gardner were the inventors named on the patent. Wu, a principal scientist, leads the center’s printable electronics activities. He was one of the first recipients of the Xerox Anne Mulcahy Inventor Award, an honor given to Xerox inventors whose patents open up new growth opportunities for the company. Gardner, a research technologist, specializes in materials characterization, an area that uses various techniques to probe into the internal structure and properties of a material.

Xerox is exploring methods and software that use data collected by cameras to remotely detect vital signs and other physiological reactions. This patent (US. Patent 8,712,126) covers real-world services that could be built around human “remote sensing” such as a web service that can detect the level of nervousness a person experiences when speaking, and help the speaker improve his or her performance. Established in 2009, located in Bangalore, India, the Xerox Research Centre India is the newest research center at Xerox. This joint patent is the first issued to an XRCI researcher and points to Xerox’s focus on emerging markets, and its ability to conduct research globally.