Did You Know...
...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 |
| 8184196 | System and method to generate depth data using edge detection Systems and methods of generating depth data using edge detection are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, first image data is received corresponding to a scene recorded by an image capture device at a first focus position at a first distance. Second image data is... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8149323 | System and method to autofocus assisted by autoexposure control In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes comparing a frame rate of image capture by an image sensor to a frame rate threshold at an image capture device. The method also includes when the frame rate is less than the frame rate threshold, incre... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8130313 | System and method to estimate autoexposure control and auto white balance In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes determining at least one ambient exposure parameter using an ambient illumination, the at least one ambient exposure parameter including a first sensitivity parameter of an autoexposure controller using... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8111300 | System and method to selectively combine video frame image data Systems and methods to selectively combine video frame image data are disclosed. First image data corresponding to a first video frame and second image data corresponding to a second video frame are received from an image sensor. The second image data is adjusted by... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8098957 | Shared block comparison architechture for image registration and video coding This disclosure describes an efficient architecture for an imaging device that supports image registration for still images and video coding of a video sequence. For image registration, the described architecture uses block-based comparisons of image blocks of a cap... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8098251 | System and method for instruction latency reduction in graphics processing A system, method and apparatus are disclosed, in which an instruction scheduler of a compiler, e.g., a shader compiler, reduces instruction latency based on a determined instruction distance between a dependent predecessor and successor instructions. ... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8077242 | Clock management of bus during viewfinder mode in digital camera device This disclosure describes techniques for managing the clock speed of a bus during viewfinder mode in a digital camera device. The techniques involve determining a frame rate of frames displayed on a viewfinder, determining whether to adjust a clock speed of a bus ba... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8063955 | Camera module testing In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes illuminating an opaque mask having a plurality of holes formed therein, each hole of the plurality of holes having a predetermined size. The method includes forming a two-dimensional impulse response im... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8023758 | Surface mesh matching for lens roll-off correction A two-dimensional (2D) mesh is applied over a distortion surface to approximate a lens roll-off distortion pattern. The process to apply the 2D mesh distributes a plurality of grid points among the distortion pattern and sub-samples the distortion pattern to derive ... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8022958 | Indexes of graphics processing objects in graphics processing unit commands This disclosure describes techniques of loading batch commands into a graphics processing unit (GPU). As described herein, a GPU driver for the GPU identifies one or more graphics processing objects to be used by the GPU in order to render a batch of graphics primit... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8019736 | Systems and methods for combining a plurality of terrain databases into one terrain database A present novel and non-trivial system and methods for exacting terrain elevation data contained in a plurality of terrain elevation databases or data sets, combining the terrain elevation data contained in each terrain elevation data set to produce a single, combin... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8019529 | Runway and airport incursion alerting system and method An apparatus for detecting incursions for an aircraft and surface vehicles includes an incursion processor receiving ownship position from an ownship navigation processor, traffic information from a traffic surveillance processor, and obstacle information from an ob... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8019491 | Generating lateral guidance image data in a terrain awareness and warning system A system and method for generating lateral guidance image data and presenting information representative of the image data is disclosed. A system is disclosed for determining lateral guidance information based upon the elevation of terrain cells and a level of terra... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7995845 | Digital signal pattern detection and classification using kernel fusion This disclosure describes techniques for determining a shape of a signal. In particular, a kernel is applied to a portion of a signal to compute at least a first, first order derivative of the portion of the signal and a second, first order derivative of the portion... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7974773 | Methods and devices of an aircraft taxi navigation system A system for providing taxi navigation information to a pilot of an aircraft is comprised of a navigation system; a taxi navigation module consisting of, in part, a processor and database; and an indicating system consisting of, in part, a tactical display unit syst... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7973698 | System and method for using a radar to estimate and compensate for atmospheric refraction An aircraft weather radar system includes an input for receiving data associated with weather radar returns received by an antenna. The aircraft weather radar system further includes processing electronics for performing a routine to analyze radar returns associated... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7972169 | Passive electrical component with a body with I/O structure including ground at two opposite corners of the body The present invention is directed to a corner interconnect component which is a passive filter component. The corner interconnect component includes a body portion having an input structure located at a first corner of the component for receiving an input. At a seco... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7970947 | Tactical targeting network technology small form factor user system The present invention is directed to a small size and light weight small form factor user system suitable for having TTNT connectivity which consumes minimum power to operate. The small form factor user system having TTNT connectivity may be capable of interacting i... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7970133 | System and method for secure and flexible key schedule generation The present invention is a method for secure and flexible key schedule generation, which includes loading a key schedule algorithm and a cryptographic algorithm into a cryptographic engine. The method further includes loading the cryptographic algorithm, when select... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7969919 | System and method for thermal load sharing between nodes in a communications network A method for sharing thermal load between nodes in a communication network includes monitoring the thermal load of a first node in the communication network. The first node is an advantaged node. When the thermal load of the first node is a predetermined value, a se... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7969701 | Fast react protection circuit for switched mode power amplifiers A protection circuit includes a diode chip, and a switching device integrated with the diode chip, the switching device being isolated, optically triggered, optically powered, and the diode chip connected between a high side terminal of the switching device and an i... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7969374 | Multipath manipulator A multipath enhancer is disclosed ias including more than one antenna. At least one of a receiver and a transmitter is coupled to the more than one antenna. A selectively reflective surface is adjacent the more than one antenna. A controller is configured to alter t... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7966437 | Wireless USB enabled dataloads A wireless enabled data transferring system for transferring data from a storage device to a slave receiving system. The wireless enabled data transferring system includes a master wireless USB element connectable to a USB port of a storage device. A slave wireless ... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7965249 | Reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) surface with optical bias for RF antenna and RF circuit applications The present invention is a Radio Frequency (RF) apparatus. The RF apparatus may include a layer of photoconductive material. The RF apparatus may further include a plurality of conductive patches which are disposed within the layer of photoconductive material. The R... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7965225 | Radar antenna stabilization enhancement using vertical beam switching A method of adjusting a position of an antenna to reduce a position error comprises receiving first data associated with first returns associated with a first portion of an antenna. The method further comprises receiving second data associated with second returns as... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7965223 | Forward-looking radar system, module, and method for generating and/or presenting airport surface traffic information A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for generating and/or presenting airport surface traffic information presenting using a forward-looking aircraft radar system are disclosed. A runway awareness zone is established and traffic data is acquire... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7965211 | High power DAC power amplifier A power amplifier architecture includes a plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules. The plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules are selectively connectable utilizing a programmable algorithm for combining at least two... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7965202 | System, system, module, and method for presenting an abbreviated pathway on an aircraft display unit A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for presenting an abbreviated pathway on a tactical display unit. A processor generates an image data set representative of a pathway and a three-dimensional perspective scene outside the aircraft using terr... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7962702 | Multiple independent levels of security (MILS) certifiable RAM paging system The present invention is directed to an integrated circuit, a method and a system for executing a sequence of instruction loaded from an external storage element and ensuring the authenticity of the sequence of instructions via RAM paging. In one embodiment, the int... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7962253 | Integrated barometric altitude and satellite altitude-based vertical navigation system A flight management system (FMS) for an aircraft, that includes an integrated barometric altitude and satellite altitude-based vertical navigation (VNAV) system. The integrated barometric altitude and satellite altitude-based vertical navigation system, includes an ... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7962089 | Method and system of supporting policy based operations for narrowband tactical radios A radio network having more than one radio node is disclosed having a cell broadcast system configured to broadcast network policies. The network includes a first group of radio nodes configured to receive the broadcast network policies. The first group of radio nod... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7961147 | Long baseline phase interferometer ambiguity resolution using frequency differences A method for determining an angle-of-arrival for a detected signal. The method includes the steps of receiving the signal at a first antenna, receiving the signal at a second antenna, generating a plurality of spectral lines based on a complex multiplication of a co... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7961117 | System, module, and method for creating a variable FOV image presented on a HUD combiner unit The embodiments disclosed herein present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for creating a variable FOV image presented on a HUD combiner unit. A processor receives navigation system data and data associated with eye position. A variable FOV image data... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7959111 | Angle of attack automated flight control system vertical control function The present invention is directed to an AOA (angle of attack) vertical control function for an AFCS (automated flight control system) for an aircraft. The AOA vertical control function of the AFCS causes the aircraft to climb or descend while maintaining the aircraf... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7958354 | High-order knowledge sharing system to distribute secret data Using a high order shared knowledge mechanism where multiple parties are given multiple shares of a shared ‘common’ secret data, dependent upon role and scenario. It is possible to distribute pre-generated, accountable, as well as escrowed key material to remote... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7957451 | Cognitive spectral sensor-based PN hopping/spreading sequence generator A spread spectrum communication system includes a transceiver configured to transmit a spread spectrum waveform. The spread spectrum waveform comprises transmitted signals at varying frequencies within a radio frequency spectrum of operation. The frequency variation... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7956802 | Integrity-optimized receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) for vertical integrity monitoring A vertical integrity monitoring method and system are described. The vertical integrity monitoring method includes determining a noise sigma ratio parameter. The method also includes determining two vertical protection limit slopes and an associated covariance matri... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7956684 | Class-G radio frequency power amplifier A linear Radio Frequency power amplifier with improved efficiency and bandwidth is provided using two power amplifier devices, operating in a Class-G mode of operation. ... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7956314 | Microwave switching element In some embodiments, a microwave switch element may include one or more of the following features: (a) an electrically isolated input capable of receiving an input, (b) an amplifier electrically coupled to the input and to an active device, (c) a power source magnet... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7953524 | Navigation through reception of a remote position fix via data link A method of navigating a mobile platform. A reflectable electronic signal is transmitted. A reflection of the reflectable signal is received. A position of the mobile platform is determined based upon the reflection of the reflectable signal. A platform position sig... | 05/31/2011 |
