Did You Know...
...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8134279 | Piezoelectric damping device The piezoelectric damping device is a passive piezoelectric vibration suppression and damping device for reducing amplitude of vibration in structures. The piezoelectric damping device includes a magnetic layer having opposed inner and outer faces, with the inner fa... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8040018 | Piezoelectric transformer type high-voltage power apparatus and image forming apparatus A piezoelectric transformer high-voltage power source apparatus, in which a driving voltage determined by a value of a driving frequency is applied to a piezoelectric transformer, and thereby an output voltage output by the piezoelectric transformer is provided to a... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8026650 | Circuit and method to improve energy harvesting efficiency in piezoelectric harvesters An energy harvester circuit is provided. The energy harvester circuit includes a harvesting module for extracting energy from an ambient source. A bias flip module manages the manner in which voltage across the harvesting module transitions when input current from t... | 09/27/2011 |
| 7898149 | Power supply device and image forming apparatus A power supply device is disclosed that outputs a voltage of a wider range with a single piezoelectric transformer. The power supply device includes a piezoelectric transformer 101 for applying an output voltage to a transfer member that transfers a toner ima... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7898150 | Angular velocity detection apparatus An angular velocity detection apparatus is disclosed. The angular velocity detection apparatus includes: a SAW angular velocity sensor; a synchronous detection unit configured to synchronously detect an output signal from the SAW angular velocity sensor by using a r... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7804223 | Efficient piezoeletric-triggered time delay module An efficient piezoelectric-triggered time delay module may be provided with separate firing and logic capacitors, and may also have corresponding separate piezoelectric transducers. Further, separate firing and logic capacitors may be impedance-matched to correspond... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7795780 | Phase-locked loop and method for operating an electromechanical system A phase-locked loop for controlling an electromechanical component comprises a digitally controlled oscillator (10), a phase comparator (20), and a digital loop filter (30). The digitally controlled oscillator (10) has an output (11 | 09/14/2010 |
| 7692358 | Backscatter sensor A micro mechanical backscatter sensor includes a receiver for receiving a modulated electromagnetic signal, a capacitive element operatively connected to the receiver, the capacitive element being arranged such that a voltage is generated across the capacitor in res... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7638925 | Power supply device A driving circuit converts a direct current (DC) power supply voltage into an alternating current voltage of a predetermined frequency. The alternating current voltage is applied to an electrical element and boosted by a voltage resonant circuit of the electrical el... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7598655 | Piezoelectric transformer driving apparatus and piezoelectric transformer driving method A piezoelectric transformer driving apparatus and a piezoelectric transformer driving method, wherein even if there exists a variation between piezoelectric transformers, no unnecessary resonant points occur in the vicinity of a frequency used, that is, the output i... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7557488 | Power supply apparatus, and image forming apparatus having the same A power supply apparatus with a plurality of power supply circuits each having a piezoelectric transformer and a voltage-controlled oscillator which generates a signal at an operating frequency used to drive the piezoelectric transformer in accordance with a control... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7531939 | Communication device Herein disclosed is a communication device which includes: a piezoelectric element having a structure formed by laminating piezoelectric substances and electrodes; obtaining means for obtaining acoustic data superimposed on a quasi-electrostatic field formed on a li... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7425789 | Power supply apparatus, and image forming apparatus having the same A power supply apparatus includes a piezoelectric transformer which outputs a voltage, a voltage-controlled oscillator which controls the frequency of an output signal in accordance with an input control signal, a power supply voltage supply element which is driven ... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7423362 | Piezoelectric transformer drive method and drive circuit A driving circuit is composed of a discontinuous rectangle wave oscillator and a lowpass filter. A discontinuous rectangle wave used herein is composed of voltages Vp, 0 and −Vp. Assuming one cycle is T, a discontinuous rectangle wave has such a configuration that... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7411465 | AGC circuit for the reduction of harmonics in the drive signal A drive circuit apparatus for use in generating a drive signal for energizing an actuator about a natural resonant frequency is disclosed. The circuit has a counter that generates a count sequence derived from a drive sense signal. Additionally, a demodulator is fur... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7385333 | Piezoelectric power supply A piezoelectric power supply includes a power supply unit to provide DC intermediate voltage power output to drive a high voltage output unit of a first load through a first piezoelectric plate and a low voltage output unit of a second load through a second piezoele... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7360689 | Method and system for proffering multiple biometrics for use with a FOB The present invention discloses a system and methods for biometric security using multiple biometrics in a transponder-reader system. The biometric security system also includes a biometric sensor that detects biometric samples and a device for verifying biometric s... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7359823 | RFID device variable test systems and methods Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide variable test techniques for RFID devices. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a radio frequency identification (RFID) test system includes an RFID reader adapted to provide an R... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7352140 | Master-slave control architecture for inverters A master-slave control architecture for inverters includes a master control circuit board which has a master control unit to output a plurality of frequency signals of the same phase and same frequency so that driving units on a plurality of separated slave control ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7352106 | Piezoelectric transformer driving apparatus The present invention provides a piezoelectric transformer driving apparatus which drives a load balanced to the ground, which makes an insulating component, such as a current transformer or a photocoupler, unnecessary, and which can detect a load current. For this ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7341181 | Method for biometric security using a smartcard The present invention discloses a method for facilitating biometric security in a smartcard-reader transaction system by proffering a biometric. The biometric may be proffered to a biometric sensor communicating with the smartcard-reader system. Proffering the biome... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7335169 | Systems and methods for delivering ultrasound energy at an output power level that remains essentially constant despite variations in transducer impedance Systems and methods deliver ultrasound energy to an ultrasound transducer having an impedance subject to variations. The systems and methods electrically couple an ultrasound generator to the ultrasound transducer to deliver ultrasound energy. The systems and method... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7325724 | Method for registering a biometric for use with a smartcard The present invention discloses a method for registering biometric information for use in a smartcard-reader system. The method comprises the steps of contacting an authorized sample receiver and submitting a biometric to a sensor to facilitates the sensor in obtain... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7318550 | Biometric safeguard method for use with a smartcard A method for facilitating biometric security in a smartcard-reader transaction system is provided. The method includes determining if a transaction violates an established rule, such as a preset spending limit. The method also includes notifying a user to proffer a ... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7314165 | Method and system for smellprint recognition biometrics on a smartcard The present invention discloses a system and methods for biometric security using smellprint recognition biometrics in a smartcard-reader system. The biometric security system also includes a smellprint sensor that detects biometric samples and a device for verifyin... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7309962 | Protection control circuit for discharge lamps A protection control circuit for discharge lamps aims to control protection signals input to a load at a rear end of a high voltage output zone that are generated during abnormal conditions. The high voltage output zone has a control unit and a driving unit, and a s... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7307627 | Individual acoustic wave switch An individual acoustic wave switch includes a body with a top section having an acoustic wave cavity formed therein and a base section extending downwardly from the top section. An acoustic wave transducer is mounted adjacent to a surface of the acoustic wave cavity... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7303120 | System for biometric security using a FOB The present invention discloses a system and methods for biometric security using biometrics in a transponder-reader system. The biometric security system also includes a biometric sensor that detects biometric samples and a device for verifying biometric samples. I... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7299789 | Fuel injection timer and current regulator A fuel injector control system and method provides precise fuel injection timing while eliminating the need for a voltage regulator by estimating or predicting ramp times between voltage application and actual fuel injection. In one embodiment, an estimated ramp tim... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7291547 | Filter device and method for fabricating filter devices A filter device and a method for fabricating filter devices can package filters, especially acoustic wave filters, by bonding a carrier (substrate) wafer carrying manufactured filters to another wafer referred to as a capping wafer. A capping wafer/substrate elimina... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7283053 | RFID radio frequency identification or property monitoring method and associated apparatus A method of identifying an article of interest includes providing one of a plurality of RF antennas each having a non-linear element which may be a rectifying diode and being resident at a different frequency on the article of interest. One RF antenna is interrogate... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7279822 | Transformer level driving circuit A transformer level driving circuit mainly aims to drive a medium voltage system. It includes a control unit to generate a resonant frequency and output phase signal waveforms, and a medium voltage driving circuit which includes a floating level unit and a driving u... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7265479 | Power supply apparatus, and image forming apparatus having the same In a power supply apparatus including a plurality of power supply circuits, each of the power supply circuits has a piezoelectric transformer, a rectification element which rectifies and smoothes a voltage output from the piezoelectric transformer in accordance with... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7262561 | Method for controlling power supply through multiple modulation modes A method for controlling power supply through multiple modulation modes aims to control an inverter of a selective characteristic through a cycle control signal of varying modulation modes to ensure that the inverter and the load on the rear end function in a reliab... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7259676 | Mode-diversity RFAID tag and interrogator system and method for identifying an RFAID transponder Methods and apparatus are provided for mode diversity radio frequency identification (RFAID). The apparatus comprises a first transducer configured to receive a first radio frequency (RF) signal, a second transducer configured to receive an acoustic signal, and an i... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7258533 | Method and apparatus for scavenging energy during pump operation A pump comprises a body for at least partially defining a pumping chamber (28); a pump member which undergoes displacement when acting upon a fluid in the pumping chamber; and a piezoelectric element which responds to the displacement of the pump member to ge... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7253694 | Temperature compensated oven controlled crystal oscillator A method provides a temperature controlled frequency source. The method reduces the effects of temperature variations on an operating frequency of the temperature controlled frequency source by temperature compensating the temperature controlled frequency source. | 08/07/2007 |
| 7253553 | Electronic component Provided is an electronic component permitting lead wires or the like to be securely soldered to a plurality of respective terminal electrodes connected to electroconductive members in through holes. On a surface 7a of a stack-type piezoelectric device... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7233113 | Power supply system for liquid crystal monitors A power supply system for liquid crystal monitors includes a first DC/AC converter (FBS, HBS) operating at predetermined frequency and duty-cycles and being fed by a second DC/DC converter (FC) which regulates the circuit voltage. The feeding system can feed all the... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7202611 | Discharge lamp lighting device A device for lighting a discharge lamp has a drive circuit to feed alternating power the discharge lamp, and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the drive circuit by a drive pulse to perform a burst dimming control over the discharge lamp. The control ci... | 04/10/2007 |
