...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7933470 | Darkness control using pattern matching The present invention is a method and apparatus for processing image data to accomplish tuning or adjustment of images, so as to modify at least the darkness thereof, using compact, efficient methods and designs. ... | 04/26/2011 |
| D636864 | Grate bar | 04/26/2011 |
| 7925043 | Tactile security feature for document and signature authentication A system and method create an authentication mark on a recording medium by depositing marking material on a medium in an image area to create a marking material image and to create a marking material authentication image. A predetermined amount of additional marking... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7917845 | System and method for managing dynamic document references Document fragments are managed by the use of fragment objects. Fragment objects contain a reference to a portion of a source document. Referencing documents contain a reference to a fragment object which delivers the content of the fragment of the source document to... | 03/29/2011 |
| D632960 | Bottle shipping top cap insert | 02/22/2011 |
| 7888419 | Polymeric composite including nanoparticle filler Disclosed is a novel polymeric composite including a nanoparticle filler and method for the production thereof. More particularly, the present invention provides a novel halloysite nanoparticle filler which has the generally cylindrical or tubular (e.g. rolled scrol... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7885977 | System and method for the automated notification of compatibility between real-time network participants The present invention is a method and system for using predetermined preferences/characteristics to ascertain personal compatibility between network or chat room participants based upon profile information. When the system determines that these preferences are favor... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7847956 | Method and system for printer optimization Disclosed are systems and methods enabling a user to select optimal parameters for a printing job. The systems and methods disclosed are directed to facilitating the adjustment of printing parameters based upon at least the knowledge of a particular aspect of a prin... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7845787 | System and method for responding to recording medium change A print system senses the type of a recording medium. The print system modifies the amount of marking material on an imaging drum when the sensed the recording medium type requires a modification to the amount of marking material on the imaging drum. Moreover, the p... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7878347 | Lifting apparatus with compensation means The present disclosure relates to a lifting assembly such as a jib crane or similar apparatus having an articulated arm assembly and a flexible means for connecting a load to an actuator. The lift arm assembly forms an articulated cantilever boom, which is extensibl... | 02/01/2011 |
| D631352 | Bottle shipping folding bottle separator | 01/25/2011 |
| 7869095 | System and method to perturb error diffusion patterns A method for halftoning an image using an error diffusion process generates an upper threshold level and a lower threshold level and selects a region number parameter. A pixel from the input image is selected and compared to the upper and lower threshold levels. A f... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7869093 | Method and system for improved copy quality in a multifunction reprographic system A method and system reconstructs a contone image from a binary image by first tagging pixels to identify one of a multiplicity of image content types. The tag information and the pattern of bits surrounding the pixel to be converted to a contone value are used to re... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7860312 | System and method for identifying and labeling fields of text associated with scanned business documents A system for electronically distilling information from a business document uses a network scanner to electronically scan a platen area, having a business document thereon, to create a bitmap. A network server carries out a segmentation process to segment the scan g... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7822290 | System and method for processing images with leaky windows Disclosed is a method and system for processing image data, which may be generated by a scanning subsystem, and the segmentation and treatment of leaky windows or segments within the image. In addition to the identification of window regions or segments having leaky... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7817290 | System and method for transmitting analyzed image content information for print engine control An image rendering system includes a digital front end to electronically analyze image data to generate geometry dependent image content information. A print engine, operatively connected to the digital front end, renders the image data. A print engine controller, o... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7813976 | Computer-based system and method for searching and screening financial securities and relevant intellectual property In an on-line financial screening service, a database of financial and intellectual property information is searched to find at least one financial security matching user defined financial search criteria. Selection preferences for a financial security are defined a... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7800779 | System and method for image based control using inline sensors Disclosed are a system and method are directed to efficient image based color calibration and improving color consistency performance, and more particularly to the use of continuous or dynamic calibration performed during printing and enabling adjustment on a page b... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7787703 | Method and system for extending binary image data to contone image data A method and system converts a binary image into an analog image by first tagging pixels that are part of edges in the digital image and using this tagging information to eliminate such tagged pixels from the digital filtering process. The elimination of such tagged... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7775819 | Buss plate bushing retainer and assembly thereof A method and apparatus for the economical and reliable assembly of buss plates and components thereon, having a bushing positioned on one or more surfaces or therebetween. A resilient retainer is employed to retain bushings in proximity to buss plate through holes t... | 08/17/2010 |
| 7773774 | Dynamic test pattern composition for image-analysis based automatic machine diagnostics The present invention is directed to a system and method for test target selection in conjunction with dynamic test pattern generation. In the invention, a test pattern page(s) is composed using an optimal set of test targets, which can be accommodated or adjusted t... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7773254 | Method and system for improved copy quality in a multifunction reprographic system A method and system reconstructs a contone image from a binary image by first tagging pixels to identify one of a multiplicity of image content types. The tag information and the pattern of bits surrounding the pixel to be converted to a contone value are used to re... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7769724 | System and method for providing S/MIME-based document distribution via electronic mail mechanisms A content or document management system includes a content or document repository; a dedicated e-mail account; and a mail agent associated with the dedicated e-mail account. The mail agent processes a received e-mail message to determine a sender's identity; authent... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7760372 | Method for automated document selection Provided is a method for the automated selection of sample documents or pages from a large collection, and more particularly an application of the method in a proof presentment environment—where the method is employed for selection and review of representative or ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7747073 | Method and apparatus for adjusting color profiles to meet a desired aim A system and method for generating an adjusted profile for a device in response to a specified aim, where the aim may include parameters established in response to a user's specifications, for device emulation, etc. ... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7742658 | System and method for boundary artifact elimination in parallel processing of large format images The disclosed systems and methods pertain to the processing of large format images in a manner to avoid introducing imaging defects, and more particularly to dividing the large image into bands, processing these bands in parallel and then putting them back together ... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7742200 | Pre-press production image alert system and method Disclosed is a method and system for checking and identifying images and other document components that may not be suitably rendered by an output device or process. The method employs a dual-mode analysis of visual image attributes to determine an aggregate confiden... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7707153 | Automated work-flow management and document generation system and method The present invention is a method and apparatus for a work-flow management and document generation system and more particularly a system and method, employing a database accessible by networked computers, for automating the operation of transaction processes such as... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7706594 | Magnetic watermark for text documents The present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for applying magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) technology to enable the embedding of coded information within text characters of a document. ... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7689037 | System and method for identifying and labeling fields of text associated with scanned business documents A system for electronically distilling information from a business document uses a network scanner to electronically scan a platen area, having a business document thereon, to create a bitmap. A network server carries out a segmentation process to segment the scan g... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7688470 | System and method for color calibration incorporating gray-component replacement using black value and intermediate color variable input Disclosed are systems and methods for color calibration incorporating gray-component replacement, and more particularly, controlling gray component replacement in a color output device by applying a pre-defined transformation to a plurality of non-black channels to ... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7684633 | System and method for image file size control in scanning services A system and method for controlling the work flow or processing of scanned images is disclosed. The system and method identify appropriate image processing techniques, particularly techniques well-suited to enable image compression yet maintain image quality so as t... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7679883 | Ultracapacitors comprised of mineral microtubules Disclosed is an ultracapacitor having electrodes containing mineral microtubules, an electrolyte between the electrodes, and a separator in the electrolyte to provide electrical insulation between the electrodes, while allowing ion flow within the electrolyte. The e... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7663782 | System and method for high addressable binary image generation using rank ordered error diffusion on pixels within a neighborhood The disclosed system and method provide a binary image generation method. Used, for example, in a digital reprographic system, the method is suitable for eliminating printing artifacts for high addressable binary digital output, such as digital copies, using an opti... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7646508 | Method and apparatus for processing digital images A method and apparatus to process digital images is described. The method is particularly effective in improving the appearance of digital images that originate in digital cameras and have been pre-processed in the camera. ... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7639389 | Memory for diagnosing imaging component failure Test image data is introduced into the image processing path of a marking device, at various points prior to the marking engine. Comparison of output of the marking engine from various sources of image data is made to diagnose imaging path component failure. Imaging... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7628003 | Mower deck cleaning and lubricating device A device for applying a fluid to the underside of a mowing deck includes a hollow body, a plurality of outlet apertures, and a magnetic mounting assembly. The device may include at least one brush attached to a cutting blade. The device may also include a detachable... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7595915 | Page turning apparatus with a vacuum plenum and an adaptive air fluffer An apparatus for the turning of pages of a bound book, comprising a fixture to hold the book, a paper fluffer for blowing air between individual pages of the held book and displacing at least a top page of the held book upwardly, and an air plenum positioned above t... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7591967 | Method for the aesthetic surface treatment of a monolithic concrete floor and product of the method This invention relates generally to a method for forming a concrete floor as a monolithic unit, wherein a wet concrete mix is deposited and worked to achieve a generally uniform flatness of concrete and adding to the top layer thereof a decorative aggregate material... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7586289 | Complete discharge device An apparatus and method for completely discharging a battery by use of a tab that initiates activation of a discharging circuit when the tab is pulled out of the battery case. The tab is operatively coupled with the actuator of a switch which in turn is coupled to a... | 09/08/2009 |