Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 4921334 | Matrix liquid crystal display with extended gray scale The perceived gray scale brightness levels of a Matrix Addressed Liquid Crystal Display are increased over the number of levels provided by the existing data line driver hardware and the gray scale voltage increments by providing an extra command bit posi... | 05/01/1990 |
| 4814982 | Reconfigurable, multiprocessor system with protected, multiple, memories Each processor or input/output (I/O) module in a reconfigurable, multiprocessor system contains a memory in which data for all program tasks is stored, with task data being assigned fixed memory locations. Erroneous entry into the replicated memories due ... | 03/21/1989 |
| 4794616 | Laser system with solid state fluorescent converter matrix having distributed fluorescent converter particles A laser system which includes a solid state fluorescent converter having fluorescent converter particles distributed in a glass support. The fluorescent particles are selectively distributed in the glass matrix permitting concentration of the fluorescent ... | 12/27/1988 |
| 4769823 | Laser system with trivalent chromium doped aluminum tungstate fluorescent converter The invention relates to a flash lamp pumped neodymium laser incorporating a fluorescent converter material which significantly improves the pumping efficiency of the neodymium laser. The fluorescent converter material is aluminum tungstate doped with tri... | 09/06/1988 |
| 4751714 | Laser system with improved gaseous raman scattering cell A laser system having a gaseous Raman cell incorporate methane (CH4) as the Raman scattering medium. The cell includes gaseous hydrogen to prevent deposition of carbonaceous material from decomposed methane on the windows of the Raman cell.... | 06/14/1988 |
| 4734917 | Fluorescent converter pumped cavity for laser system A Multi-Flash Lamp laser system incorporates a solid state fluorescent converter. The multiple Flash Lamps are symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the major dimension of the lasing material but avoid coupling of light between the lamps. The opti... | 03/29/1988 |
| 4677367 | Current fed boost converter A power supply comprising a high impedance source and a regulator configured as a boost type converter is disclosed. The duty cycle of a shunt switch in the regulator is controlled so as to be increased or decreased in order to respectively decrease or in... | 06/30/1987 |
| 4667282 | Multiphase rectifier circuit with dynamic AC input to DC output voltage range compression utilizing half and full wave rectification modes A rectifier circuit connected with a variable voltage AC source for providing a range of DC output voltages narrower than the range of AC voltage input by controllably switching between half-wave and full wave rectification.... | 05/19/1987 |
| 4663562 | Contrast enhancement structure for color cathode ray tube A contrast enhancement structure for a full color cathode ray tube utilizes a combination of a louvered ambient light transmission control element in combination with a multi-notch band-pass filter. The louvered control elements provide limited viewing an... | 05/05/1987 |
| 4657829 | Fuel cell power supply with oxidant and fuel gas switching This invention relates to a fuel cell vehicular power plant. Fuel for the fuel stack is supplied by a hydrocarbon (methanol) catalytic cracking reactor and CO shift reactor. A water electrolysis subsystem is associated with the stack. During low power ope... | 04/14/1987 |
| 4637687 | Cascaded, dual cell transflective liquid crystal display The contrast ratio of a transflective liquid crystal display in the transmissive mode is improved by means of a cascaded, dual cell arrangement. By using cascaded cells, the light path and light absorption in the background portions of the light path is i... | 01/20/1987 |
| 4606120 | Process for mounting components on a printed circuit board A spacer device for mounting electrical components on a printed wire board includes a spacer having two legs projecting from a body to form a general U-shape. Each of the legs has a slot formed in its end wall for receiving and retaining one of the wire l... | 08/19/1986 |
| 4591844 | Line smoothing for a raster display This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for displaying a symbol on a display surface consisting of a matrix of discrete points (e.g. raster), where the symbol is divided into sections and the brightness of each pixel is controlled. This techni... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4590567 | Large angle, gravity compensated, bank-to-turn pursuit controller A bank-to-turn pursuit controller provides rapid and precise pursuit steering control toward a target point with direction substantially different from the vehicle direction of travel using positive lift load factors between zero and a specified maximum t... | 05/20/1986 |
| 4589066 | Fault tolerant, frame synchronization for multiple processor systems The processors in a redundant, multiprocessor system are synchronized at the minor frame level with a combination of hardware and a local software supervisory routine. Each processor includes an interface synchronizer unit which receives synchronizing pul... | 05/13/1986 |
| 4589022 | Brightness control system for CRT video display A video brightness control system for high performance CRT displays including a buffer amplifier for receiving high speed video information and applying it to a gain control variable resistor serving as a contrast control. An ambient light sensor drives a... | 05/13/1986 |
| 4561945 | Electrolysis of alkali metal salts with hydrogen depolarized anodes A process for producing sulfuric acid and caustic soda by the electrolysis of an alkali metal sulfate in a membrane cell having a hydrogen depolarized anode. Hydrogen gas in the anode chamber is oxidized to produce hydrogen cations which combine with the ... | 12/31/1985 |
| 4551657 | Format reconfigurable CRT display A CRT display is provided with a multiple-pole, double-throw switching mechanism, which in conjunction with alternate circuitry provides a means for easily reconfiguring the CRT display presentation. By operating the switches the normal left to right, the... | 11/05/1985 |
| 4541732 | Ultrasonic temperature sensor An ultrasonic temperature sensor is based upon the variation in the speed of propagation of a torsional wave in a material whose torsional modulus varies as a function of temperature. A transducer for producing a torsional wave is coupled through an accou... | 09/17/1985 |
| 4534226 | Counter rotating, multi turbine flow measuring system A volumetric flow measuring system includes two counter-rotating turbines axially displaced along the flow path. Because the turbines rotate in opposite directions, the net change of the sum of the main and sensor turbine signals due to non-axial or "swir... | 08/13/1985 |
| 4531181 | High voltage power supply A high voltage power supply of the flyback type typically used in cathode ray tube displays or TV receivers operates in synchronism with the scan rate frequency of display and may either be self-synchronizing, externally synchronized, or externally direct... | 07/23/1985 |
| 4511972 | Large angle, gravity compensated, bank-to-turn pursuit controller A bank-to-bank pursuit controller provides rapid and precise pursuit steering control toward a target point with direction substantially different from the vehicle direction of travel using positive lift load factors between zero and a specified maximum t... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4499330 | Anti-vibration support for thermocouple tip An anti-vibration support for the unsupported tip of a thermocouple probe consists of a resilient, compressible, multi-sided sleeve. The sleeve is positioned between the outer surface of the probe and the inner wall of the protective housing. The sides of... | 02/12/1985 |
| 4488951 | Integrated electrochemical/chemical oxygen generating system The integrated electrochemical/chemical oxygen generating system of the invention includes a water electrolyzer combined with a chemical oxygen generating subsystem which converts hydrogen from the electrolyzer to a decomposable oxygen source such as hydr... | 12/18/1984 |
| 4467134 | Thermocouple with out-of-line aspiration holes The response time of a thermocouple is improved by offsetting the outlet aspiration opening or openings in the thermocouple protective housing from the gas flow axis and the inlet opening. The outlet aspiration opening is located substantially at the gas ... | 08/21/1984 |
| 4457824 | Method and device for evolution of oxygen with ternary electrocatalysts containing valve metals A gas generating apparatus and method is described which utilizes a novel catalytic oxygen evolving electrode for such electrochemical systems as electrolysis cells and oxygen concentration cells. The electrochemical cells include a catalytic cathode and ... | 07/03/1984 |
| 4457823 | Thermally stabilized reduced platinum oxide electrocatalyst A novel, electrocatalytic material comprising at least one reduced platinum group metal oxide is subsequently heated in the presence of oxygen at a temperature high enough to stabilize the catalyst in acidic and halogen environments. The catalyst optional... | 07/03/1984 |
| 4455210 | Multi layer ion exchanging membrane with protected interior hydroxyl ion rejection layer A three layer cation transporting membrane in which the interior layer has the best hydroxyl ion (OH) rejection characteristics. The outer layers are preferably porous.... | 06/19/1984 |
| 4445375 | Tuned coriolis angular rate measuring device A tuned coriolis, angular rate measuring device includes a substantially hollow, generally annular rotor driven by a high-speed, synchronous spin motor. The rotor is made unsymmetrical by mounting within the rotor near its periphey at least a pair of high... | 05/01/1984 |
| 4403152 | Optical fiber position sensor An optical fiber position sensor includes an optical fiber cable wound in the shape of a single layer, tightly wound coil, the coil being secured to a first member. A second member, which is linearly movable with respect to the first member, has fixed the... | 09/06/1983 |
| 4402806 | Multi layer ion exchanging membrane with protected interior hydroxyl ion rejection layer The performance of a permselective cation transporting membrane is improved by making the membrane a three or more layer structure in which the layer having the best hydroxyl (OH) ion rejection characteristic is in the interior of the membrane. The OH ion... | 09/06/1983 |
| 4384203 | Optical fiber angle position sensor An optical fiber position sensor wherein a first member is rotationally movable with respect to a second member. A generally rod-shaped fiber optic cable is provided having two elongated portions in close axial alignment. The interface surfaces of the two... | 05/17/1983 |
| 4371433 | Apparatus for reduction of shunt current in bipolar electrochemical cell assemblies Shunt currents which flow between the electrodes of adjacent cells through the moving conductive fluid and the fluid pool in the manifold of a bipolar cell assembly are minimized by introducing the conductive fluid at the top of an elongated outlet manifo... | 02/01/1983 |
| 4366476 | Raster display generating system A visual display system and method for use in converting calligraphic symbology information into raster scanned symbology. The system simultaneously generates and displays calligraphic and raster matrix imagery utilizing the same set of software instructi... | 12/28/1982 |
| 4360416 | Anode catalysts for electrolysis of brine A gas generating apparatus and method is described which utilizes a novel catalytic halogen evolving electrode for electrochemical systems, such as an electrolysis cell for the generation of chlorine. The electrochemical cells include a catalytic cathode ... | 11/23/1982 |
| 4339322 | Carbon fiber reinforced fluorocarbon-graphite bipolar current collector-separator A bipolar current collector-separator for electrochemical cells consists of a molded aggregate of electro-conductive graphite and a thermoplastic fluoropolymer particles reinforced with carbon fibers to increase the strength and maintain high electrical c... | 07/13/1982 |
| 4333805 | Halogen evolution with improved anode catalyst A gas generating apparatus and method is described which utilizes a novel catalytic halogen evolving electrode for electrochemical systems, such as an electrolysis cell for the generation of chlorine. The electrochemical cells include a catalytic cathode ... | 06/08/1982 |
| 4314483 | Mass rate of flow meter with improved temperature characteristics A mass rate of flow meter including a housing and an inner assembly with a swirl generator, a rotor, and a restrained reaction turbine. The rotor includes tapered passages. Each tapered passage includes a converging inlet section and a diverging outlet se... | 02/09/1982 |
| 4311569 | Device for evolution of oxygen with ternary electrocatalysts containing valve metals A gas generating apparatus and method is described which utilizes a novel catalytic oxygen evolving electrode for such electrochemical systems as electrolysis cells and oxygen concentration cells. The electrochemical cells include a catalytic cathode and ... | 01/19/1982 |
| 4308465 | Frequency control for paralleled AC systems A frequency control utilizing a reference oscillator and a signal controlled oscillator is disclosed. The frequency control maintains the frequency of an output signal at the same frequency as the reference oscillator if there is no signal present at a fr... | 12/29/1981 |
