Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7315094 | Bus station in a vehicle A bus station for connection to a bus in a motor vehicle, including a basic module as well as expansion modules. The basic station can access the expansion and basic modules of other bus stations via the bus for a called-up service. This enables configuration of inf... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7314104 | Steam driven road vehicle A steam driven road vehicle having a firebox, a boiler, a drive mechanism operated by steam from the boiler, a water supply supplying water to the boiler, and a drive connection connected between the drive mechanism and an axle of the vehicle. A fuel bin is supporte... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7311406 | Image sensing system for a vehicle An image sensing system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements, preferably formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a logic and control circuit, preferably with at least a portion of the logi... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7311428 | Interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element having a field of view rearward of the vehicle when the interior rearview mirror assembly is attached at a portion of the interior of the vehic... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7307359 | Operation device An operation device capable of securely identifying whether an operation is performed by a driver or by a passenger on a front passenger seat are provided. In the periphery of a multidirectional input portion and switch input portions of an operation switch unit pro... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7307358 | System and method of active equalization between power supply systems sharing a rechargeable electrical power storage device, applicable to an automotive vehicle A system of managing power supply systems in automobiles, particularly a system of active equalization between power supply systems sharing a rechargeable electrical power storage device such as a spare battery. ... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7307514 | Method for remotely determining and managing connection of tractor and trailer Truck tractors in a transportation fleet include a transponder that transmits a unique tractor identifier to a connected trailer using a Power Line Communication (PLC) bus device. The information transmitted typically includes a manufacturing unique ID for the tract... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7304406 | Control device for safety-critical components and corresponding method The response time of safety-critical electrical components is improved during a safety cut-out. To this end, the outputs of two controllers used to control switches connected in series and pertaining to a switching device for the electrical components or machines to... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7305283 | On-vehicle electronic control device An on-vehicle electronic control device improves safety so as to prevent an unnecessary start by means of an arousal timer circuit section. An on-vehicle electronic control device includes a main control circuit section and an arousal timer circuit section. A switch... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7305293 | Vehicle tracker including input/output features and related methods A vehicle tracking unit preferably includes a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device. The controller preferably cooperates wi... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304401 | Transmitter/receiving device for a motor vehicle component connected to a communications network A transmitter/receiver device for a motor vehicle component connected to a communications network, and includes at least one transmitter unit for transmitting data over the communications network, and at least one receiver unit for receiving data over the communicat... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304402 | Car power source apparatus The car power source apparatus switches a pair of contactors (driving battery relays) connected to positive and negative output sides of a driving battery via a switching circuit with an auxiliary battery as power supply. The switching circuit is provided with a vol... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304567 | Method and apparatus for communicating control and other information over a power bus An information signal to be communicated to a roof-mounted light bar or other electrical or electronic device travels over the vehicle's or other environment's power bus or other power conductor. In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a modulated... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304404 | Fan system for vehicles and method for controlling fan in vehicles A fan system is provided which keeps a record of the electric connection between a battery ECU and an accessory battery and starts a fan if it is determined based on the record that the electric connection between the battery ECU and the accessory battery was just i... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7300189 | Interchangeable flashlight-cargo lamp system An interchangeable flashlight-cargo lamp system includes a docking station that is suitable for mounting either a cargo lamp or a rechargeable flashlight. The flashlight doubles as a cargo lamp when mounted within the docking station. Both the cargo lamp and the fla... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7301245 | Control system for a vehicle power supply and control method thereof A control system for a vehicle power supply for supplying power to a predetermined power receiving portion includes a first power generating power supply portion, second power generating power supply portion, and controller. The controller is arranged to set the vol... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7301441 | Boarding environment controlling system, boarding environment controlling apparatus, and boarding environment controlling method A vehicle boarding environment controlling apparatus having a communicating element communicating with a communication device that detects a detection target object for personal authentication; a registration storing element for storing registration of setting statu... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7299892 | Door trim speaker grille with electroluminescent lamp and injection molding method of making same A door trim speaker grille with an electroluminescent lamp for use with an audio speaker of a vehicle. The electroluminescent lamp is positioned for emitting visible light through sound passages in the speaker grille. In certain embodiments of the invention, the ele... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7301246 | Switch for switching off at least one airbag A switch for switching off at least one airbag having two identical sensors for detecting a switching state of the switch is provided, the two identical sensors being connected up in such a way that the electrical characteristic-quantity ranges to be evaluated for d... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7301285 | Control method for discharge lamp A method for controlling a discharge lamp by a power controlling device on an automobile vehicle includes a starting step and a switching step. The device supplies electricity to the lamp. In the starting step, the discharge lamp starts to emit a light such that the... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7294000 | Adaptable junction box applicable to automotive vehicles A junction box includes inputs and outputs, and electronic elements for distributing electric power, received at an input from a power source of a vehicle, to the outputs to provide power to loads of the vehicle which are connected to the outputs. The electronic ele... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295430 | Portable device having high strength A thin portable device having high strength. The portable device includes a portable device body for accommodating an electronic component used for communication. The portable device body includes an upper case and a lower case, each having a cavity. A holding frame... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295910 | Vehicle occupant discriminating apparatus A vehicle occupant discrimination apparatus is provided, which is capable of precisely discriminating a vehicle occupant using load data detected by a small number of load sensors for detecting a load applied to a vehicle seat. In a vehicle occupant discrimination a... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295921 | Portable vehicle navigation system A navigation system includes an operator interface module (OIM) including a display and keypad. A computer module (computer module) includes a CPU, map database and the motion and position sensors. A docking station is fixedly mounted in each of a plurality of vehic... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295909 | Method for the detection of an impact A method for detecting a side collision, in which either temperature or pressure sensors are provided for detecting an adiabatic increase in pressure or temperature. The signals of these sensors are filtered with a low pass filter and then, as a function of a signal... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7292227 | Electronic device, vibration generator, vibration-type reporting method, and report control method An electronic device drives an oscillatory actuator to cause generation of vibration when it is detected that an operation input to a touch panel or operation key has been received. The electronic device causes, by this vibration, the touch panel and operation key t... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7293148 | Method for reliably verifying a memory area of a microcontroller in a control unit and control unit having a protected microcontroller A method is provided for controlling a microcontroller in a control unit in a motor vehicle, having a processor core, at least one read-only memory area and at least one rewritable memory area, at least one control program which is intended to be processed by the pr... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292051 | Electrostatic capacitance sensor and flap type handle having electrostatic capacitance sensor A flap type handle equipped with an electrostatic capacitance sensor, in which sensitivity adjustment can be easily performed without changing the specification of a sensor body 3, reduces the difference in detection sensitivity with respect to the position a... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292137 | Energy efficient passive entry system A passive entry system for a vehicle is provided that includes a vehicle-based communication module mounted in the vehicle and a portable communication device. The vehicle-based communication module includes a transmitter for transmitting a challenge signal to the p... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292921 | Method for activating restraining means A method for triggering restraint devices in which at least one collision-indicating signal is generated. From the moment that a collision is detected, temporally defined crash phases are specified, and, for every crash phase, a crash type and a crash severity are d... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7291933 | Double alternator and electrical system for a vehicle A double alternator for a vehicle and a vehicle electrical system employing the double alternator. ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7290517 | Automatic start-up of an auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit automatic start-up system is configured to assist a main engine start of a machine. The auxiliary power unit automatic start-up system may include an auxiliary power unit and a controller. The controller may monitor a parameter of the machine... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7291017 | Power interface device for trailer hitches A power adaptor includes an elongated and portable body having a pair of axially opposed end portions. The body includes a pair of diametrically offset L-shaped arms protruding outwardly therefrom. Another of the body end portions and the L-shaped arms define a plur... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7291814 | Grip heater control apparatus A grip heater control apparatus (7) capable of increasing the opportunities to enable a heater (2) to warm a grip (1) while suppressing a voltage drop of a battery (10), the grip heater control apparatus comprising a heater (2) for... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292027 | Vehicle occupant sensing system having sensor assemblies with variable biasing member A vehicle occupant sensing system that includes a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly has a housing that includes a base and an upper slide member. The upper slide member is moveable toward and away from the base. A sensor is operatively fixed relative to at least ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7288853 | Power control center with solid state device for controlling power transmission A semiconductor device for an automotive power control center. The device can include first, second and third legs, a semiconductor and an insulating material. The semiconductor is coupled to the legs and configured to transmit relatively high current power between ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7288009 | Apparatus and method for interconnecting a child seat and monitoring system A child seat adapted for use in a vehicle, the child seat comprising: a base portion; a carrier portion configured to be removably secured to the base portion; a restraint system component; a sensor for providing a signal indicative of a state of the restraint syste... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289901 | Vehicle-mounted power generator set A vehicle-mounted power generator set including: an AC generator driven by an engine of a vehicle; an electric power conversion portion that converts an output of the AC generator into an AC output having commercial frequency; a controller having electric power conv... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287785 | Side door latch pawl function augmentation A door latch assembly of a motor vehicle is provided for selectively engaging a striker between latched and unlatched positions. The door latch assembly includes a ratchet for receiving and engaging the striker. The door latch assembly also includes a pawl movable b... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287867 | Power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly (10) comprising a bracket (12) mountable to a vehicle, a mirror head (15), telescopically mounted to the bracket (12), a mirror (16) mounted to the head (15), a power telescope mot... | 10/30/2007 |
