Did You Know...
...that Robert Adler has the dubious distinction of being the Father of the Couch Potato? Back in 1955 Adler was employed by what was then Zenith Radio Corp., where he was charged to invent something that would allow viewers to turn down the TV volume without leaving their chairs. After a series of flops (such as a wired contraption that people tripped over), Adler hit on the idea of using sound waves. Thus the Remote Control was born...
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5953656 | Method and apparatus for remotely accessing a telephone answering device A cordless telephone provides both basic and enhanced features that are accessible through the combination of a portable unit and an auxiliary recharge cradle, some of these features being heretofore available only at a base unit which combines a cordless... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5913166 | Arrangement for providing a call hand-off for a mobile station from a land-line supported private base station to a cellular base station operating in a cellular system A private wireless system is configured for providing a call hand-off capability for a mobile station communicating with a private base station operating in the wireless system. The call in the wireless system is handed off to the public cellular system w... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5848073 | Method and apparatus for predicting transmission system errors and failures Errors or failures in a transmission system (10) can be accurately predicted by a system (18) which processes error or failure data collected by the transmission system during uniform intervals to yield data indicative of the errors or failures during eac... | 12/08/1998 |
| 4491691 | Electronic tone ringer An electronic tone ringer responds to ringing signals on a telephone line while being unresponsive to dialing pulses or other signals on the line. Powered directly from the telephone line or alternatively from an external DC supply, the ringer uses a digi... | 01/01/1985 |
| 4480178 | Tuning arrangement for interfacing credit card-like device to a reader system A circuit for maximizing power transfer from a station to an interactive memory card via a capacitive interface. A reader system in the station generates an ac signal which provides operating power that is transferred to the card through the capacitive in... | 10/30/1984 |
| 4471310 | Pulse generator having variable pulse occurrence rate A pulse generator circuit provides output pulses that vary in frequency in accordance with a digital input word. An external source frequency produces a predetermined number of pulses over a fixed time interval with the pulse generator circuit selecting t... | 09/11/1984 |
| 4461013 | Frequency modulation transmitter for voice or data A portable frequency modulation transmitter (1) for voice or data is disclosed for operation at infrared frequencies. The transmitter comprises keyboard (200) or microphone (402) input capability and dual modes of use. In the data mode, carrier is generat... | 07/17/1984 |
| 4456792 | Voice switching arrangement for telephone conferencing In a telephone conference system, a voice switching arrangement allows a speaker who has seized the line to hear and thus permit an interrupting speaker an opportunity to talk. This arrangement is achieved in a multiparty connection by using two complemen... | 06/26/1984 |
| 4449238 | Voice-actuated switching system A voice-actuated switching system selectively connects multiple microphones to an audio line in accordance with the output signal levels from each of the microphones. The state of each microphone is determined by its use and can exit in one of three state... | 05/15/1984 |
| 4439760 | Method and apparatus for compiling three-dimensional digital image information A method and apparatus, comprising a video data bus (8), a plurality of video memory modules (VM1-VMN), and bus arbitration circuits (BAC1-BACN) associated with each video memory module, are disclosed for compiling digital image information for display. A... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4418416 | Frequency modulation transmitter for voice or data A portable frequency modulation transmitter (1) for voice or data is disclosed for operation at infrared frequencies. The transmitter comprises keyboard (200) or microphone (402) input capability and dual modes of use. In the data mode, carrier is generat... | 11/29/1983 |
| 4396989 | Method and apparatus for providing a video display of concatenated lines and filled polygons A method and apparatus for compactly describing an image made up of concatenated lines or filled polygons. The drawing of lines for the image begins at an initial drawing point determined in a coordinate system defined by a unit screen and proceeds from p... | 08/02/1983 |
| 4377821 | Arrangement for providing a flickerless ordered dither image for a video display A flickerless video display for a gray scale image is obtained using binary picture elements in an interlaced field format. The flicker is eliminated by causing each display point on a line of the interlaced field to be vertically paired with and have an ... | 03/22/1983 |
| 4357601 | Tamper protection for an automatic remote meter reading unit In an automatic remote meter reading system, a tamper protection circuit (101) provides an alarm signal at a central station upon the disconnecting or tampering with a remote utility meter (100). Tamper protection is provided for the meter and for the tra... | 11/02/1982 |
| 4357496 | Keypad logic interface circuit A keypad logic interface circuit (200) provides a switch closure output signal representative of a selected one of a plurality of digits on a crosspoint contact array keypad (100). The selected one of the plurality of digits provides the switch closure si... | 11/02/1982 |
| 4352958 | Electronically-switched multifrequency generator with transducer control In a multifrequency generator providing tone signaling for a telephone, the common switching functions are performed by solid state switching circuitry (1200). Improved signal transfer between the telephone line and transmit and receive transducer of the ... | 10/05/1982 |
| 4339632 | Button illumination for repertory dialer with low battery voltage indication A display illuminating circuit for a repertory dialer telephone set allows for a subscriber to operate a desired repertory button in low ambient light emergency situations. The circuit illuminates the desired buttons by distinguishable colors of light-emi... | 07/13/1982 |
| 4337466 | Tamper protection for an automatic remote meter reading unit In a remote meter reading system, a tamper protection circuit provides a warning at a central station upon the disconnecting or tampering with a remote utility meter. Tamper protection is provided for the meter and for the transmission line carrying energ... | 06/29/1982 |
| 4332984 | Active speech network circuit for a telephone set In a subscriber telephone set, an active speech network provides a sidetone signal and for equalization of the transmit and receive signals at the tip and ring line port and also maintains the dc voltage at a substantially constant level at this port. The... | 06/01/1982 |
| 4140964 | High voltage breakdown test circuit for insulation testing utilizing a predetermined fixed amount of energy A high voltage breakdown test circuit for testing of insulation resistance within an electrical device is disclosed. Operator safety is attained by allowing a fixed amount of energy considered nonlethal and advantageously imperceptible into the test circu... | 02/20/1979 |
