Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8159821 | Diffusion bonding circuit submount directly to vapor chamber A method for providing a high in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivity path between a heat producing electronic device and a heat sink is described. A vapor chamber, or other type of heat spreader, is provided that has a substantially flat top copper surface ... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8156693 | Wildlife deterrent for high voltage supporting members A wildlife deterrent for a utility support structure member between two conductors includes a bracket for attachment to the supporting member, a center support piece with a variable height arm connector, and two adjustable arms pivotally attached to the arm connecto... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8152625 | Bonus game awarding and displaying selected values Various bonus games for being played on a gaming machine are described. The base game may consist of the random selection and display of a 5×3 matrix of symbols. In one bonus game (FIGS. 5-7), upon a certain outcome of the base game including special ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8147324 | Gaming machine with hidden jackpot Various type of jackpot systems are disclosed wherein visible jackpots are replenished after a win by an invisible jackpot. Some embodiments include: replenishing the visible jackpot with less than 100% of the invisible jackpot; increasing the invisible jackpot at a... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8130133 | A/D converter using isolation switches In an A/D converter, isolation switches are used between the capacitors and the conversion switches. The conversion switches are those switches used to selectively couple the plates of the binary weighted capacitors to either Vref or 0 volts during the A/D conversio... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8100764 | Software security for gaming devices A secure smart card or other secure modular memory device is plugged into (or otherwise connected to) a port of a game controller board internal to a gaming machine, where it is not accessible to a player. The smart card is programmed to detect an encrypted “chall... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8092659 | Multi-station sputtering and cleaning system A multi-chamber processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. The system includes a sputtering chamber and a separate pre-clean chamber, where wafers ca... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8092298 | Multiple progressive jackpots for a gaming device A gaming machine is described wherein a player first plays a primary game, such as the spinning and stopping of mechanical or video reels displaying symbols. A plurality of progressive jackpots is displayed to the player, where the progressive jackpots are increment... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8076181 | Lead plating technique for singulated IC packages A packaging technique is described for QFNs, DFN, and other surface mount packages that allows the sides of leads to be plated with a wettable metal prior to the lead frames being singulated from the lead frame sheet. The leads of the lead frames in the sheet are sh... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8070584 | Matrix game involving an award based on non-highlighted grid positions In one embodiment, the invention is a secondary game played concurrently with a conventional Keno game. In Keno, a player selects a plurality of numbers (e.g., 4-20) within an M×N grid (e.g., 8×10) of different numbers. A random number generator randomly selects a... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8070580 | Conversion of lowest value symbols into special symbols in a gaming machine Upon a trigger event occurring during a main game on a video slot machine, a number of free games having a special feature are awarded to the player. For each trigger event that occurs during the free games, the lowest value symbol displayed for each free spin becom... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8063996 | Content delivery to a digital TV using a low-power frequency converted RF signal A simple antenna is connected to the RF input port on a conventional digital TV to receive video content from a plurality of video content sources wirelessly. The video content sources, such as a DVD player and cable/satellite box, may generate baseband signals in a... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8030078 | Bonus game where player collects playing cards to make a hand A base game on a gaming machine may be a conventional 5×3 video reel-type game, where awards are granted for winning symbol combinations in the base game. If a bonus trigger has occurred, a special card deck symbol is added to at least one reel, and the player is g... | 10/04/2011 |
| 7963838 | Bonus game for gaming machine providing player with deal or no deal options In one embodiment, a gaming machine carries out a main game which initiates a bonus game for a certain outcome of the main game. In one embodiment, the bonus game displays a plurality of hidden objects in the form of icons. The objects may be credits, money, letters... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7961132 | Sampling switch and controller In one embodiment, an A/D converter samples an analog input signal voltage by applying the input signal to a first capacitor terminal, while a second capacitor terminal is connected to ground via an NMOS sampling switch, to charge the capacitor to the input signal v... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7959508 | Gaming machine with player selection of options in bonus game In one embodiment, a gaming machine carries out a main game, such as a spinning reel type game, either using physical reels or simulated reels on a video screen. A special combination of symbols activates a video bonus game. The bonus game comprises a plurality of N... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7959504 | Gaming device game applying randomly selected features to an array of symbols Disclosed herein is a game played on a gaming device that displays a randomly selected array of symbols, where the symbols across one or more paylines are evaluated by circuitry to determine an award to be granted. A trigger event, such as the occurrence of a specia... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7896737 | Scatter symbol feature in a gaming device displaying reels Disclosed herein is a game played on a gaming device that displays a randomly selected array of symbols, where the symbols across one or more pay lines are evaluated by circuitry to determine an award to be granted. In one embodiment, the gaming device allows the pl... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7880404 | Controlling current through serial LEDs using a low voltage transistor when using a high voltage driver Various circuits are described herein where a series transistor used to control current through a string of LEDs, driven by a high voltage, is not subjected to the high voltage when the transistor is turned off pursuant to a PWM signal. To avoid the transistor exper... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7871676 | System for depositing a film by modulated ion-induced atomic layer deposition (MII-ALD) The present invention relates to an enhanced sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique suitable for deposition of barrier layers, adhesion layers, seed layers, low dielectric constant (low-k) films, high dielectric constant (high-k) films, and other conduct... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7843148 | Driving multiple parallel LEDs with reduced power supply ripple An LED driver is disclosed that drives LEDs connected in parallel. Instead of applying current to all the parallel-connected LEDs at the same time, under control of a common PWM brightness control signal, the application of current to each parallel path is staggered... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7841947 | Multicolor top light for gaming machines In one embodiment of the invention, a top light is provided for a slot machine wherein the white light source and colored film is replaced by a red/green/blue light emitting diode (LED) source. The red, green, and blue components of the LED source are selectively co... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7841935 | Device to automatically change award parameters for a gaming machine A control unit in communication with a plurality of gaming machines selects one or more of the active machines to be set to an enhanced play mode. The selection may be random or based on other factors. During the enhanced play mode, the awards attributed to each sym... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7841934 | Amusement machine having a secondary game for determining a winning amount The gaming device comprises a main game, which results in random outcomes. At least one of the outcomes enables a secondary game. Indicia are selected and displayed in the secondary game. A player positions the indicia of the secondary game by operating controls. A ... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7806983 | Substrate temperature control in an ALD reactor A deposition system includes a process chamber for conducting an ALD process to deposit layers on a substrate. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) retains the substrate. A backside gas increases thermal coupling between the substrate and the ESC. The ESC is cooled via a co... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7806408 | Table with computer for playing card selection game One embodiment of the invention is a method of playing computerized card games against real players at a table. The cards games are usually variations of poker, where the quality of the players' hands is due to skill and strategy rather than the luck of the draw. Pl... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7799190 | Target backing plate for sputtering system A multi-chamber processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. Multiple magnets (one for each target) in the magnetron assembly in the sputtering chamber... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7794574 | Top shield for sputtering system A multi-chamber processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. The system includes a sputtering chamber and a separate pre-clean chamber, where wafers ca... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7785455 | Cross-contaminant shield in sputtering system A multi-chamber processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. The system includes a sputtering chamber and a separate pre-clean chamber, where wafers ca... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7780527 | Gaming machine having three-dimensional touch screen for player input In one embodiment, a gaming machine includes a separate touch screen located in an area where buttons are typically located. The touch screen virtual buttons may be both configurable by the player and configurable by the gaming machine. In one embodiment, the touch ... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7780516 | Free game bonus round for gaming machines A system of linked gaming machines is disclosed herein. Upon a certain triggering event occurring, eligible gaming machines simultaneously receive a signal for initiating a free game bonus round. The player awarded the most credits or points from the play of the fre... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7744730 | Rotating pallet in sputtering system A processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. Multiple targets, of the same or different materials, may concurrently deposit material on the wafers as... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7744457 | Gaming machine displaying special symbols that shift positions In a virtual spinning reels type video slot machine, one or more of the possible symbols are special symbols. Examples of special symbols are wild cards and multipliers. If the special symbol cannot be utilized in the current game to grant an award to the player, th... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7717783 | Computer-based, interactive, real-time card selection game The invention is a method of playing computerized card games against real or virtual players. The cards games are usually variations of poker, where the quality of the players' hands is due to skill and strategy rather than the luck of the draw. Players request desi... | 05/18/2010 |
| RE41331 | Playing an interactive real-time card selection game over a network A method of playing an interactive, computerized, multi-player card game in which desired cards are selected by players, some of which may be virtual players generated by the game's software. Each real player uses a computer or similar device that is connected to a ... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7682495 | Oscillating magnet in sputtering system A processing system is described for depositing materials on multiple workpieces (wafers, display panels, or any other workpieces) at a time in a vacuum chamber. Multiple targets, of the same or different materials, may concurrently deposit material on the wafers as... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7674182 | Progressive jackpot gaming system A progressive jackpot system for a gaming network is described wherein the accumulation of the jackpot is based upon any of a number of factors, and the winning of the jackpot is based on any of a number of factors. In one embodiment, the winning of the jackpot may ... | 03/09/2010 |
| RE41061 | High efficiency linear regulator A single chip hybrid regulator is disclosed having a first stage being a switching regulator and a second stage being a linear regulator. The switching regulator uses a filter circuit including an inductor and a capacitor. To make the hybrid regulator very small, th... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7632184 | Free game bonus round for gaming machines In a system of linked gaming machines, upon a certain triggering event occurring, eligible gaming machines simultaneously receive a signal for initiating a free game bonus round. The players that have been playing the gaming machines will then play a certain number ... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7628696 | Gaming device with network port for selecting jackpot frequency At least one gaming machine in a network of gaming machines includes displays for a main game and a bonus game. The bonus game is activated when a particular outcome of the main game is achieved. A jackpot that is common to a plurality of the gaming machines in the ... | 12/08/2009 |
