Did You Know...
...that it was melting ice cream that inspired the invention of the outboard motor? It was a lovely August day and Ole Evinrude was rowing his boat to his favorite island picnic spot. As he rowed, he watched his ice cream melt and wished he had a faster way to get to the island. At that moment the idea for the outboard motor was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7109676 | Control for electric motor in vehicles A control for an electric motor in a vehicle. The control ascertains whether an obstacle is interfering with rotation of the motor. The control establishes a baseline speed, representing normal free running speed of the motor. This baseline speed will be different, ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 6906639 | Motor vehicle warning and control system and method A system and method assists the driver of a motor vehicle in preventing accidents or minimizing the effects of same. In one form, a television camera or other ranging device is mounted on a vehicle and scans the roadway ahead of the vehicle as the vehicle travels. C... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6862506 | Method for automatically adjusting reference models in vehicle stability enhancement (VSE) systems A method for automatically adjusting a vehicle stability enhancement (VSE) system is disclosed. The VSE system is used in conjunction with a steering system having a plurality of driver-selectable steering modes associated therewith. In an exemplary embodiment, the ... | 03/01/2005 |
| 6647330 | Electronic power assisted steering system and method An electronic power assisted steering system and method wherein vehicle operating parameters, such as steering rack rate and position, are employed to predict future current requirements of the power assisted steering system, and adjust vehicle operating ... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6571892 | Control system and method Systems and methods for controlling a device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the systems and methods allow for the control of a human transport device such that the human transport device remains in an upright position regardless of the surface being tr... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6567748 | Motion control system for vehicle A motion control system controls a vehicle so as to avoid contacting an obstacle in front of the vehicle by applying a braking force or a turning force to the vehicle. In particular, the turning force is applied to the vehicle to avoid the obstacle by tur... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6553293 | Rear steering control for vehicles with front and rear steering The invention provides a method and computer usable medium, including a program, for steering a vehicle having driver-controlled front wheel steering and active rear wheel steering. A rear wheel steering angle static portion is determined based on a contr... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6546324 | System and method incorporating dynamic feedforward for integrated control of motor vehicle steering and braking A control system for a motor vehicle subsystem comprises a reference model and a feedforward controller. The reference model computes desired states of the subsystem. The feedforward controller computes a first control value based on input from the refere... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6178365 | Steering control system for vehicle A system for controlling steering of a vehicle, including a steering device such as a steering wheel with an electric motor which assists steering of driven wheels of the vehicle, first steering control unit for controlling the motor, a CCD camera for det... | 01/23/2001 |
| 5969432 | Arrangement for controlling a load connected to the secondary side of a transformer A synchronous rectifier, to which the primary-side input voltage of the transformer and a control voltage with the same frequency as the input voltage is applied, is connected to the primary side of the transformer. The phase of the control voltage can be... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5947225 | Automatic vehicle A vehicle has a sensor for detecting a first distance to a first object and a second distance to a second object located on the other side of the first object. The vehicle travels along a path between the first object and the second object based on the de... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5709281 | Method and apparatus for adjusting steering feel A vehicle steering apparatus (20) includes a steering feel motor (50). A torque sensor (58) senses steering torque applied by a vehicle driver. A sensor (24) senses a characteristic of a driver and provides a signal indicative thereof. A hazard sensor (44... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5621291 | Drive control method of robotic vacuum cleaner A self-propelled robotic vacuum cleaner includes independently driven right and left drive wheels, a front sensor emitting ultrasonic waves in a forward direction as the front sensor is oscillated right and left by 180°, and a rear sensor emitting ultras... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5574641 | Apparatus and method for improving the awareness of vehicle drivers An apparatus and method for detecting heartbeat pulse information of a driver, including determining a level of awareness of the driver from the heartbeat pulse information, detecting a steering angle of the vehicle, determines the level of awareness, of ... | 11/12/1996 |
| 5533795 | Brake safety system for vehicles with seat and door control The parking brake of a vehicle is automatically operated whenever the driver or operator leaves the operator's seat and/or opens the door to the vehicle. A seat switch and a separate door switch are electrically wired to an electrical solenoid which opera... | 07/09/1996 |
| 5012886 | Self-guided mobile unit and cleaning apparatus such as a vacuum cleaner comprising such a unit A mobile cleaning apparatus device automatically follows guides such as walls or other obstacles, by engaging the guides with a detector element and controlling the steering of the apparatus in response to the level of forces sensed by the detector.... | 05/07/1991 |
| 4967862 | Tether-guided vehicle and method of controlling same A tether-guided vehicle and method of controlling same. A tether sensor indicates the angle, θ, of the tether with respect to the vehicle and the tension, T, on the tether. A contact-sensitive bumper disposed about at least the front periphery of the veh... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4794536 | Steering angle detection device A steering angle detection device of the type wherein a computer (12) calculates a steering angle. When a steering shaft (20) is turned, pulse signals (SS1, SS2) are generated from an encoder (10). In response to these pulses signals (SS1, SS2), the compu... | 12/27/1988 |
| 4395186 | Vehicle for tending low growing vegetation A powered vehicle for tending low-growing vegetation comprising a frame having intersecting cross-braces; a platform mounted to the frame having an engine mounted thereon; front and rear center swing tubes having a torsion bar spring suspension and a doub... | 07/26/1983 |
| 4223756 | Traffic system with automatically transversely controllable vehicles, especially for the local public passenger traffic A traffic system consisting of vehicle and road, in particular for the public local passenger traffic, with automatically cross-controllable vehicles, with a track-determining guide device extending along a desired track and with a cross-positional contro... | 09/23/1980 |
| 4210905 | Alarm for waking a dozing driver An alarm for waking a dozing driver includes a plurality of electrical switches arranged about the steering wheel of a vehicle. A rigid member extends continuously about the steering wheel and is resiliently attached thereto and arranged with respect to t... | 07/01/1980 |
