...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 |
| 8184063 | Balanced dipole antenna A balanced dipole antenna, comprising: a left dipole arm having a center end, a right dipole arm having a center end, a coaxial cable having an outer conductor and a single inner conductor and a top end electrically located between the center ends of the left and ri... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8181695 | Reinforcement for dish plate heat exchangers A reinforcing element for a heat exchanger of the type having nested dish plates with inclined, peripheral, overlapping walls, where at least one of the nested dish plates is attached to a mounting plate, the mounting plate extending beyond the outer periphery of th... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8179093 | Handheld electronic device with holster having a notification device A handheld electronic device that includes a first battery and a holster that includes a second battery and a charging apparatus. When the handheld electronic device and the holster are electrically connected together, the charging apparatus charges the first batter... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8176312 | System and method for surely but conveniently causing reset of a computerized device Enhanced reset logic is included in a user's computerized device so that the device owner (e.g., the user's employer) can assure prompt reset (e.g., to insure device use of newly downloaded software versions or other control or security data) while still allowing us... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8176205 | Method, server and system for optimizing HTML-based content A method, server and system for optimizing and delivering HyperText Markup Language (HTML)-based content such as HTML-based email messages to mobile communication devices is provided. In accordance with one embodiment, the method comprises: receiving an email messag... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8176136 | Schedulable e-mail filters An e-mail filter may be associated with a schedule defining a recurrent active time period. As such, some e-mail filters may be active at specific times of day and on specific days of the week and inactive the rest of the time. Before applying any filters, the curre... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8171421 | Portable electronic device and method for displaying large format data files A portable electronic device includes a rendering circuit to visualize large format data files on a narrow display. The large format data files are rendered using either a desktop display mode or a mobile display mode. The desktop display mode renders the data file ... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8160649 | Initiating a call from a mobile device to a number that is not hyperlinked A method and mobile device for initiating telephone calls through a wireless communication network are provided. Number strings are identified in text displayed on a visual display of the mobile device. Number strings may be hyperlinked when the strings meet predete... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8160245 | Methods and apparatus for performing an elliptic curve scalar multiplication operation using splitting For an Elliptic Curve Scalar Multiplication (ECSM) operation to be performed on a scalar and a base point, a given previous set of parameters that was used to split the scalar for a previous ECSM operation and a selected random integer are used to determine a new se... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8159392 | Frequency aiding method and system for navigation satellite receiver with crystal oscillator frequency hysteresis A method and apparatus for estimating oscillator signal variation due to temperature and for providing an estimated frequency to a GPS receiver in order to assist the GPS receiver to acquire the signals quickly is disclosed. A temperature sensor is closely thermally... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8151617 | Turbulizers and method for forming same Disclosed is a method of forming a heat exchanger turbulizer apparatus including a member having a longitudinal axis, a lateral width and a plurality of strips including first strips and second strips, each strip extending widthwise and being corrugated longitudinal... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8151201 | User interface manager and method for reacting to a change in system status A user interface manager, interposed between a Windows service and user interface modules that communicate with the Windows service in distinct system status scenarios, can record interaction between the Windows service and each of the user interface modules. The re... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8150933 | Apparatus and method for delivering messages over multiple mediums A method for transmitting data to a communication device that is configured to receive data through a plurality of alternative communications mediums. The method comprises: determining a priority associated with a data message that is to be provided to the communica... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8150931 | Method and device for hiding messages Based on user configuration, a main messaging user interface screen on a messaging device either presents a list of references to messages stored on the device based on a complete index of references to the stored messages or based on a filtered index of references ... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8150481 | System for opening and closing a mobile communication device A wireless handheld device comprises a lower casing having a bottom end and a top end and a lid having a bottom end and a top end. The top end of the lid is rotatably coupled to the top end of the lower casing with at least one hinge component such that the handheld... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8145222 | Method, mobile communication device, and system for selective downloading to a mobile communication device A method, mobile communication device, and system for selective downloading to a mobile communication device are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method on a mobile communication device for downloading data from a content source to th... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8141790 | Thermal bypass valve with pressure relief capability A by-pass valve for a heat exchanger circuit that includes a cooler has a chamber and ports for flow of fluid into and out of this chamber. A thermally sensitive actuator is mounted in the chamber and can extend or retract in dependence on its body temperature as in... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8140863 | Automatic security action invocation for mobile communications device A mobile communications device, server, and method for providing security on a mobile communications device are described. In accordance with one example embodiment, the mobile communications device comprises: a processor; a communications subsystem connected to the... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8135391 | Mobile device with enhanced telephone call information and a method of using same A mobile device with enhanced telephone call information and a method of using same are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of providing enhanced phone call information on a mobile communication device, comprising: receiving an in... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8130762 | Distributed wireless packet assembly Distributed assembly of data packets into messages at a group of interface devices that receive data packets from within a coverage area. Each interface device in the group will take ownership of a sequence of data packets forming a message when a data packet of the... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8126976 | Delivery of email messages in multiple parts A method, server and system for managing the delivery of email messages in multiple parts is provided. A method for sending email messages in multiple parts to a mobile communication device, comprises receiving a request for additional content from a mobile communic... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8125256 | Bias generator providing for low power, self-biased delay element and delay line An improved bias generator incorporates a reference voltage and/or a reference current into the generation of bias voltages. In some cases, the output of a biased delay element has a constant voltage swing. A delay line of such constant output voltage swing delay el... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8122202 | Reduced pin count interface An arrangement of memory devices and a controller is based on an interface with a reduced pin count relative to a known memory device and controller arrangement. Facilitating the reduced pin count interface are some operations performed by the controller. The contro... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8111144 | System and method for providing improved detection of user inaction A mobile device, through the use of an NFC subsystem, may determine holster-proximity information, i.e., whether the mobile device is near to (including in) a holster or out of, and away from, the holster. The holster-proximity information may be used by the mobile ... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8099060 | Wireless/wired mobile communication device with option to automatically block wireless communication when connected for wired communication A mobile wireless communication device also has at least one wired communication port. Enhanced security is achieved by permitting the device to automatically disable one or more wireless ports when connected to a wired port. Specific combinations/permutations of su... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8095186 | Integrated dialing Call initiation on a device with potential for a large number of stored telephone numbers is simplified through the use of an integrated field for entry of an ambiguous filter string. As it is not clear, a priori, whether the user is manually specifying, in the inte... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8091785 | System and method for improving smart card reader reconnections Communications between a computing device and a smart card reader configured for communication with a smart card are facilitated through the use, by the computing device, of a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service. The smart card reader service... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8090963 | Automated power management of a peripheral device Based on bounds of a period of reduced operation for a base device, a base device generates a power management message for transmission to a peripheral device. In the power management message, the base device inserts bounds of a period of reduced operation for the p... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8090409 | System and method to provision a mobile device A system and method for enabling functions on a primary mobile device from a secondary mobile device are described. The primary mobile device is configured to enable at least selected functions of the mobile communications device if authorization information is rece... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8089969 | Metro ethernet service enhancements Numerous enhancements to metro Ethernet network (MEN) services include an enhancement of the overall MEN Quality of Service (QoS) architecture, an enhancement to classification at the provider edge, the use of Ethernet QoS classes, enhancements to policing and marki... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8086858 | Secure method of termination of service notification A method for notifying a client device of termination of at least one service provided to the client device by a server system within an enterprise network is disclosed. The method includes the step of establishing authentication data and notification data, where th... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8086397 | Mobile device with on-screen optical navigation A mobile computing device, including a main body, a processor and associated memory housed within the main body, a display screen housed within the main body and responsive to signals from the processor, an optical sensor fixed to the main body for capturing success... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8086274 | Handheld electronic device including cross application use of phone related inputs, and associated method An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide added convenience for the user by enabling the user to quickly and easily initiate telephone related functions from applications other than the device's phone and address book applications using... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8081992 | System and method for displaying the geographic location associated with a phone call received on a phone-equipped mobile device Embodiments of a system and method for displaying a geographic location associated with an incoming call being received on a mobile device are provided. The mobile device has a user interface that provides a call screen to the user for identifying a phone number ass... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8078990 | Secure device sharing A device and method for placing the device in a locked state having an associated set of permitted tasks so as to permit the device owner to share the device with others but maintain security over aspects of the device. A task change request is evaluated to determin... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8069442 | Computer system and method for secure installation and operation of software A computer system provides for the secure installation and operation of software. The computer system includes a platform, such as a personal computer, having a processor and the Microsoft® Windows® operating system. The computer system also includes a first drive... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8068698 | System and method for resizing images prior to upload There is disclosed a system and method for resizing an image on a handheld mobile communication device prior to uploading to an image repository. In an embodiment, the method comprises: determining the size of an original image; determining any upload size restricti... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8066255 | Solenoid gas valve A solenoid valve has a main body defining a gas inlet passage, a gas outlet passage, and a cavity; a core tube forming a closure for said cavity so as to prevent an escape of gas; a cylindrical main piston slidably movable in said cavity of said main body, said main... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8066198 | Valve apparatus for regulating a heat exchange liquid A valve apparatus can be used to select between a cold or a hot coolant for heat exchange, this selection depending on whether an attached heat exchanger is to operate as a cooler or a heater. The apparatus includes a valve housing with first and second chambers for... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8066197 | Failsafe thermal bypass valve for cooling system A thermal bypass valve for a heat exchanger circuit includes a valve housing forming a valve chamber including a bypass passage and ports for the flow of heat exchange fluid into and out of the valve chamber as well as a bypass port defined by a valve seat. Two axia... | 11/29/2011 |