Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5811888 | Automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device with detecting function of a generator and delayed effect An automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device with delay effect, including a delay circuit, an in-car sensing circuit, an out-car sensing circuit and a power supply circuit. The delay circuit is connected to both the in-car sensing circuit a... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5808374 | Driver interface system for vehicle control parameters and easy to utilize switches An improved driver interface system provides prompts to an operator to adjust several vehicle parameters. In this way, the operator is assured to adjust the necessary components upon start up of the vehicle. This is particularly important when the driver ... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5808371 | Apparatus for driving electrical loads provided at a vehicle An apparatus for driving electrical loads provided at a vehicle by feeding power to the electrical loads, includes a power source for feeding power to a plurality of the electrical loads provided at a vehicle. The plurality of electrical loads are divided... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5801624 | Brake indicating apparatus and method A brake indicating apparatus for indicating braking of a vehicle having an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and brake lights powered upon actuation of a vehicle brake pedal including ABS input for sensing ABS actuation during braking of a vehicle and for pr... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5796181 | Alternating current generator control apparatus for vehicle An improved alternating current generator control apparatus for a vehicle which is capable of preventing a lamp driving transistor from being damaged due to an over-current by controlling the current of the lamp driving transistor connected to an L-termin... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5796333 | Early warning signal system A new Early Warning Signal System for producing a warning to a following driver of a speed reduction and possible braking. The inventive device includes a warning signal light powered by the vehicle power supply, and a control circuit including a switch a... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5787370 | Method and apparatus for vehicle headlight-range adjusment A device and a method to detect dynamic changes in the level or ground clearance of a vehicle. The changes are determined indirectly by the instances of longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle which are analogous with these changes, preferably by calcula... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5780974 | Daytime running lights An automotive vehicle exterior illumination circuit includes a main headlamp circuit, including a headlamp switch, for operating the headlamps at full intensity and a DRL control incorporating voltage-dropping resistance in a daytime running headlamp circ... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5780973 | Vehicle windshield wiper-light control system incorporating daytime running light mode A windshield wiper-light control system provides running light functionality to vehicle headlights in association with the coupled operation of the vehicle's windshield wiper system and lights. A pulse generator provides a pulsed output to drive the headl... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5773935 | Switching device for the lighting system of motor vehicles having a main switch coupled to a decision logic device A switching device for the lighting system of motor vehicles includes a rotary switch which can be adjusted in different rotating positions, and devices for wiring the connected electric light devices corresponding to the settings of the rotary switch. Th... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5770999 | Vehicle light control system An improved blackout control system located within the passenger compartment allows the driver to alter the normal and emergency lighting features of the vehicle. The blackout control system comprises an illuminated control panel unit modified by harness ... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5770998 | Device and controlling method for displaying stationary/dynamic status of car Device for displaying stationary/dynamic status of a car for assuring safety including a car stationary/dynamic state sensing part for detecting a change of speed of a predetermined time period sensed by a rotating slit plate mounted on a speed meter cabl... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5767590 | Controlling vehicle lighting loads In the circuitry of this invention, variable DC voltage input is supplied to a pre-drive section through an input resistor. The value chosen for the resistor sets the base current which determines the gain of the pre-drive circuitry. The available gain co... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5767589 | Lighting control circuit for vehicle brake light/tail light/indicator light assembly According to the present invention, a lighting control circuit is provided in which various logic gates, transistors and other smaller-scale circuit elements are combined. The circuit receives as inputs the control signals from the vehicle, including the ... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5764010 | Control system for an automotive vehicle multi-functional apparatus A control system for an automotive vehicle multi-functional apparatus employs an electronic control unit operably controlling a rear window wiper assembly. In another aspect of the present invention, an electronic control unit is operable as a multiplexed... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5764141 | Motor vehicle warning signal light assembly A motor vehicle warning signal light assembly is installed within a car and near a back window, which includes stop signal light, an invertedly disposed V-shaped signal light, a control switch, a leftward turn signal light, and a rightward turn signal lig... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5760546 | Dual dimmer control of headlamp high- and low-beams A circuit for implementing dual dimmer controls in an automotive vehicle having right- and left-side driver stations. The circuit can be used with existing control switches, thereby avoiding changing or redesigning those switches. The circuit uses several... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5760490 | Electronic unit for vehicle An electronic unit for a vehicle includes a control section for carrying out predetermined control management by detection signals transmitted through signal lines installed in the vehicle, a drive section for carrying out predetermined power management b... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5760685 | Apparatus for and method of controlling tail lamps of vehicle An apparatus for and a method of controlling tail lamps of a vehicles capable of giving an alarm to the driver when the door of the vehicle is opened in ON state of the tail lamps, thereby ensuring the driver to recognize the ON state of the tail lamps. T... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5760545 | Tow adapter for selectively outputting an energization signal to a towed vehicle based on an enable signal A tow adapter adapts tail light signals of a towing vehicle for suitable tail light signals of a towed vehicle. The tow adapter adapts a left turn signal, a right turn signal, and a brake signal from the towing vehicle to energize left and right tow lamps... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5747934 | Lighting switch assembly with internal daytime running light control circuit A lighting switch assembly with an internal daytime running light control circuit, comprising a printed circuit board 15 mounted to a lighting switch assembly A, and electric elements 16 soldered to the printed circuit board 15 to form a daytime running l... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5742230 | Apparatus for triggering a warning device An apparatus for triggering a warning device, in particular in a vehicle with an on-board controller to influence braking pressure and/or engine torque and/or steering as a function of the movement behavior of the vehicle wheels and/or of the vehicle, is ... | 04/21/1998 |
| 5736816 | Automatic on-off vehicle headlight system A control system for automatically turning on and off at least some of the lights of a vehicle, such as an automobile. The control system includes a vacuum switch connected to a vacuum source on the engine. A vacuum delay valve is interposed between the v... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5736794 | Circuit arrangement for providing signal correction including a switch-on delay time period during which a correction signal is determined for use during a following time period A circuit arrangement for affecting signals which contains a first and a second circuit element or section (10, 11). A switch-on delay unit (35) is disposed in the second circuit sections (11) which, after start-up of the two circuit elements (10, 11), ma... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5734203 | Headlight circuit A headlight circuit for an automobile which has two versions. One version can be used in automobiles which do not have daytime running lights and the other version can be used in automobiles which have daytime running lights. The circuit includes headligh... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5729057 | Vehicle antitheft device using transponder and having illuminated keyhole An anti-theft device for a motor vehicle includes a key having a transponder. A lock has a keyhole for receiving the key. An antenna is in the vicinity of the lock. A control unit for controlling the antenna sends starting signals to the transponder and r... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5729058 | Trailer voltage adapter A trailer voltage adapter includes a voltage converter which can be powered by the electrical system of a tractor and provide electrical power at a second voltage required by the electrical lighting system of the trailer. A plurality of relays are control... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5705893 | Simplified automatic energy saving system for automotive daytime running lights An ignition activated automotive headlight system having a high beam circuit and a low beam circuit, the low beam circuit having a resistor in series connection therewith for daylight driving, the low beam circuit further having a photoelectrically operat... | 01/06/1998 |
| 5701116 | Buffered trailer light converter A system for converting the tail light signals of a towing vehicle to control the tail lights of a towed vehicle. The converter includes full buffering for all input signals thereby minimizing any loading effect caused by the converter or the towed vehicl... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5677671 | Circuit for interfacing brake, turn, and hazard warning signals with engine ECM A circuit for the electrical system of an automotive vehicle, such as a truck, interfaces a brake switch, a combination turn signal/hazard warning signal switch, and an engine electronic control module (ECM) that has two separate brake signal inputs. The ... | 10/14/1997 |
| 5666028 | Automobile headlamp and running light control system An automobile headlamp and running light control system for controlling an operating state of automobile headlamps and tail/marker lamps, and determining an operating threshold for an automatic dimming rearview mirror system. The headlamp and running ligh... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5666103 | Wireless safety indicator control system for towed vehicles In response to detecting activation of a safety indicator on the towing vehicle, a radio frequency control signal is transmitted from a transmitter means on the towing vehicle. Thereafter, the radio frequency control signal is received on a towed vehicle ... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5666005 | Electrostatic windshield wiper and headlight control circuit An electrostatic windshield wiper and headlight control circuit, for coupling an automobile windshield wiper circuit with automobile lamps and remotely actuating the automobile lamps; comprising a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (Q1) and... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5663709 | Auxiliary control circuit for vehicle lights with a theft prevention function The present invention relates to an auxiliary control circuit for vehicle lights with a theft prevention function. The control circuit comprises a transmitter, a receiver, a CPU, an acoustic pickup, and actuating circuits. The CPU receives signals from lo... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5663705 | Vehicle safety device A vehicle safety device (10) consisting of a warning lamp such as the rear lamps (32) of a vehicle (30), a rearward facing light detector (12) that detects a vehicle approaching from the rear, and an activator (16) for turning on the rear lamps (32). The ... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5661368 | Dual-voltage control for an electrical load In one embodiment of the present invention, a daytime running lamp (DRL) system for a motor vehicle includes a switchable connection from the headlamps of the vehicle to the neutral connection of the vehicle's alternator. Compared with the full system vol... | 08/26/1997 |
| 5646485 | Motor vehicle daytime running light system having buck switch mode converter A motor vehicle has a daytime running light system for providing automatic illumination of a pair of headlamps at reduced intensity. The reduced intensity operation is accomplished by way of a switch mode power converter which operates to provide a daytim... | 07/08/1997 |
| 5644290 | Blackout control system An improved blackout control system located within the passenger compartment allows the driver to alter the normal and emergency lighting features of the vehicle. The blackout control system comprises an illuminated control panel unit modified by harness ... | 07/01/1997 |
| 5638045 | Vehicle signal light system An external signal light system with two intensity levels. The system includes a dual-filament lamp bulb to alert observers that the vehicle brakes are being actuated. A power circuit connected to the vehicle storage battery provides electrical current to... | 06/10/1997 |
| 5633538 | Active and illuminated information module for motor vehicle cigar/cigarette lighter or other power receptacles An attachment for a cigarette lighter receptacle in a vehicle simulates the external shape, size, and appearance of a conventional vehicle cigarette light which is normally seated in the cigarette lighter receptacle. A control circuit, light source, smoke... | 05/27/1997 |
