All Images


News Release 13-077

New National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees Received Vital NSF Support

Wireless communication, plasma display and iris recognition helped by National Science Foundation

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

showing a computer monitor, a smart phone and an eye scanner display

The inventors of an important wireless communication technique, plasma display and iris recognition--Andrew Viterbi, Donald Blitzer and John Daugman--were inducted into the United States Patent and Trademark Office's National Inventors Hall of Fame on May 1, 2013. The work of these inventors was, in part, supported by the National Science Foundation.

Credit: Thinkstock

 

Electrical engineer and cofounder of wireless technology giant Qualcomm, Andrew Viterbi, received two National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grants to further develop and commercialize Code Division Multiple Access, a technology important for wireless communication throughout the world.

Credit: NSF

 

Computer scientist Donald Bitzer discusses how NSF support of PLATO, the first computer system to offer students free, computer-assisted instruction, provided an incentive for continued development and use of plasma displays.

Credit: NSF