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 |
| 8051954 | Method and system for communicating with a controller of an elevator The present invention includes a method and a system for communicating with a controller of an elevator car (10). A first input device (40) is inserted between a pair of elevator car sliding doors (12, 14). Energy beams (36) transmitted b... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8002087 | Entrance/exit device for elevator An elevator entrance apparatus includes a reading device for reading transmission information from a transmission device, and a control device for controlling operation of an elevator based on information as to whether transmission information has been read by the r... | 08/23/2011 |
| 7356966 | Railroad grade crossing assembly An articulate railroad grade crossing assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the crossing assembly has an adjustable reach so that it can be adjusted to completely or partially close roadways of various sizes. In another preferred embodiment, the assembly includes one... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7350625 | Shaft door monitoring system for an elevator installation A shaft monitoring system for an elevator installation includes a contactless sensor enabling recognition from the elevator car whether a shaft door lock and a shaft door leaf are in a correct locked setting. A securing device mechanically secures the shaft door loc... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7342190 | Pressure actuated switching device and method and system for making same A pressure actuated switching device is made by applying at least a first layer of fluid conductive polymeric coating material to a surface of a sheet of green rubber material. The conductive polymeric coating is solidified to form an electrode, and the sheet of gre... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7291998 | Electrical control safety system comprising photocells or equivalent sensors An electrical control safety system is provided comprising two photocells or equivalent sensors applied on a sliding gate, the two photocell systems being composed respectively of at least two transmitters and two receivers, and the control safety system being cycli... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7221118 | Composite sensor for door and automatic door system A first area (16) for detecting an object is formed by a radio wave or an ultrasonic wave, and a second area (18) for detecting an object by means of light is formed near the first area (16). When an object is detected in the first area (16 | 05/22/2007 |
| 7211975 | Motorized barrier operator system adaptable to different safety configurations and methods for programming the same A motorized barrier operator system is disclosed that is adaptable to different safety configurations. The system is provided with a default configuration that may be changed upon detection of an optional safety configuration by the operator system. The changeover m... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7183533 | Optical multi-axis optoelectronic sensor An optical multi-axis optoelectronic sensor, in which a phototransmitting sensor head having a plurality of phototransmitters arranged thereon and a photoreceiving sensor head having a plurality of photoreceivers arranged thereon are disposed opposite to each other,... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7165655 | Neural network detection of obstructions within and motion toward elevator doors A camera (26), with suitable illumination (such as IR) provides images to a processing card (33) which converts the images to numerical vectors and applies them to a neural network (35) which is capable of providing a door-open signal (38... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7156210 | Freight elevator landing door control A control system for a motorized freight elevator landing door in which all of the doors in a single line of a hoistway are controlled with one set of proximity sensors carried on the elevator car. The sensors signal a controller that operates electric motors for op... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7140469 | Three-dimensional monitoring in the area of an elevator by means of a three-dimensional sensor A device for monitoring an elevator area utilizes a three-dimensional semiconductor sensor for detecting three-dimensional image information. The sensor includes a light source that is mounted so that the elevator area to be monitored is disposed in the illuminated ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7140470 | Safety system for monitoring the state of elevator landing doors To render the elevator landing doors fitted with an elevator control unit (5) safe, this system comprises: elevator landing door surveillance units (10), installed on each elevator landing door, to receive the state of the electrical contacts (11, 1... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7102089 | Pressure actuated switching device and method and system for making same A pressure actuated switching device is made by applying at least a first layer of fluid conductive polymeric coating material to a surface of a sheet of green rubber material. The conductive polymeric coating is solidified to form an electrode, and the sheet of gre... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7081713 | Light grid for detecting objects in a monitoring region A light grid is provided for the detection of objects in a monitoring region having a transmitter unit comprising a plurality of light transmitters and a receiver unit comprising a plurality of light receivers in which respective pairs of light transmitters and ligh... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7071459 | Interference compensation optically synchronized safety detection system for elevator sliding doors A method for detecting interference energy in a sliding door safety system includes the steps of disposing at least one emitter along a first vertical surface, disposing at least one receiver corresponding to the at least one emitter along a second vertical surface,... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7045764 | Passive detection system for detecting a body near a door A detection system for detecting a body near a doorway includes two detectors having one or more activation lines that overlap each other. With certain mounting arrangements, the detectors cover areas within and on both sides of the doorway. The detectors are meant ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7044271 | Safety device for pinching zone of elevator doors The described safety mechanism is embodied for elevator systems with an elevator car, which can be displaced in an elevator shaft. The entrances to the elevator shaft and to the elevator car each have at least one sliding door, which is automatically operable by a d... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7042492 | Automatic door assembly with video imaging device An automatic door assembly for installation at a doorway formed through a wall of a building and for use in conjunction with a video device that is (a) capable of receiving a video data signal from a video imaging device monitoring a field of view and (b) processing... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6973998 | Door state monitoring by means of three-dimensional sensor An apparatus and a method for monitoring an elevator door include a sensor for detecting three-dimensional image information. Processing equipment evaluates the image information of detected images to recognize a deviation between two images and trigger a situation-... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6962239 | Sliding door system with optical detector for safe door opening and closing A sliding door system has a pair of horizontally opposed vertical surfaces defining therebetween an opening, an upper horizontal surface connecting uppermost ends of the vertical surfaces, a lower horizontal surface connecting lowermost ends of the vertical surfaces... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6945363 | Method of contactlessly monitoring elevator shaft doors A method for monitoring shaft doors of a elevator installation uses at least one contactlessly acting shaft door monitoring sensor to emit a beam of electromagnetic waves, wherein at least during specific detection phases the beam extends over several floors and is ... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6917002 | Pressure actuated switching device and method and system for making same A pressure actuated switching device is made by applying at least a first layer of fluid conductive polymeric coating material to a surface of a sheet of green rubber material. The conductive polymeric coating is solidified to form an electrode, and the sheet of gre... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6739432 | Inspection opening in an elevator car An elevator car is of a construction which facilitates inspection and maintenance function while enhancing passenger safety. The car includes a closeable inspection and maintenance opening in a sidewall. A transparent inspection window or an inspection grille forms ... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6626268 | Elevator door opening and closing device and opening and closing control method In an opening and closing apparatus for an elevator door, a light-emitter and a light-detector are disposed in safety shoes disposed on doorstop edges of each of two abutting elevator doors. The light-emitter emits a reflection detection beam toward a lan... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6625934 | Method for monitoring environmental conditions in restricted spaces An environmental detection system is particularly suited for elevator hoistways and other locations where access is difficult or restricted. The inventive system comprises a fire rated access cage which is disposed within the hoistway in a desired locatio... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6547042 | Gap scanning A method of gap scanning wherein a first working member (such as a door) in conjunction with a second working member (such as a door) in conjunction with a second working member (such as another door, a door frame or a fixed surface) serves to define or i... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6534731 | Safety edge switch Safety edge switch (1) for power-driven equipment or power-driven doors, sliding equipment and so forth of vehicles, with a hollow profile made of an elastomeric material and having a mounting profile (2) and a shell part (3), in which hollow profile ther... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6443265 | Safety device of the elevator door A safety device for an elevator door characterized by the following facts: a lever (2) with one end (3) pivoted at an elevator door safety shoe (1) has its other end (4) fixed and supported on each floor in a rotatable manner; a polarized reflection plate... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6386326 | Method and system for detecting objects in a detection zone using modulated means A system and an associated method of detecting an object in a three-dimensional field adjacent to a doorway, such as an elevator doorway, uses an array of energy emitters that emit three-dimensional energy signals into the field and an array of energy rec... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6339375 | Image monitoring apparatus and image monitoring method An image monitoring apparatus for detecting a confined passenger in an elevator just from an image, without using a dedicated sensor. The image monitoring apparatus includes an image acquirer for acquiring an image; a door area definer for defining a door... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6279687 | Method and system for detecting objects in a detection zone using modulated means A system and an associated method of detecting an object in a three-dimensional field adjacent to a doorway, such as an elevator doorway, uses an array of energy emitters that emit three-dimensional energy signals into the field and an array of energy rec... | 08/28/2001 |
| 6247558 | Apparatus for reducing power consumption in a elevator door protection system A elevator door protection system, having an infrared curtain comprising pairs of infrared transmitters and receivers and circuitry responsive to an output of the receiver due to interception for opening the elevator doors, includes detection circuitry wh... | 06/19/2001 |
| 6202797 | Automatic protection of elevator mechanics A portable device worn by an elevator mechanic when in the pit of the hoistway or on top of a car will activate sensors disposed on the car so as to cause an emergency stop and warn the mechanic of the elevator's presence. The portable device may be dispo... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6167991 | Method and apparatus for detecting position of an elevator door A method and apparatus for detecting the distance between opposing sides of an elevator door system is presented. The invention enhances the ability of an elevator door safety system to discriminate between false targets and true obstructions. The method ... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6051829 | Safety detection system for sliding doors A safety system for detecting an obstruction approaching closing doors includes a transmitter stack and a detector stack. Each transmitter stack includes a plurality of transmitter three-dimensional lenses. Each detector stack includes a plurality of dete... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5925858 | Safety system for detecting small objects approaching closing doors A safety system for detecting small objects that approach closing doors comprising a transmitter stack, a detector stack, and a controller including instructions to detect small objects as the doors are closing. A transmitter or a group of transmitters fr... | 07/20/1999 |
| 5923005 | Equipment for approach area monitoring for escalator and travelling walkways Equipment for monitoring an approach area of a moving belt apparatus (1), such as an escalator or a travelling walkway, and for controlling a drive for the belt includes light sensors (12) arranged in handrail entry caps (11) of balustrades (3). Each ligh... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5900598 | Lift sensor An optical obstructing sensing system is described. Control signals are optically transmitted across the obstruction sensing area thereby obviating the need for a physical connection between the array of emitters and receivers which define the obstruction... | 05/04/1999 |
| 5896951 | Optimization of magnetizing current in linear induction motors Magnetizing current generated in a linear induction motor driving elevator car doors in elevator systems is optimized. Magnetizing current level is set low for door operation modes requiring lower levels of thrust, such as hold open and hold closed. Magne... | 04/27/1999 |
