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 |
| 7888903 | Sensor signal estimator and motor controller for stabilization of tracking antenna Provided is an apparatus and method for estimating sensor signals to stabilize a posture of a mobile satellite tracking antenna. The apparatus includes: an angular velocity estimating unit for estimating an angular velocity signal by removing an error signal generat... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7602134 | Twist capsule for rotatable payload The present invention relates to an apparatus that controllably allows the relative rotation between structures, such as a gimbal and a structure to which it is mounted. According to one aspect, the apparatus includes a twist capsule assembly with internal stop mech... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7403127 | Device for establishing and/or monitoring a predetermined fill level in a container A device for establishing and/or monitoring a predetermined fill level in a container is provided, to indicate the fill level in a container and exhibiting a best possible, optimum fit for an application, which device includes: a mechanical oscillatory structure pla... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7352944 | Laser alignment device The present invention discloses a laser alignment device which has a simple structure, easy operation and economical utility, and which includes a casing, a laser emitting unit that is mounted in the casing and may emit a planar laser beam, a first mounting plane an... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347096 | Digital accelerometer A force-balance accelerometer having a pick-off coil responsive to displacement of a seismic mass from a balance position for providing an output corresponding to the displacement, includes a digital signal processor including tow pulse width modulation generators f... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7325321 | Method and device for monitoring the alignment of a measuring instrument, and measuring instrument The method and the device serve to monitor the alignment of a measuring instrument, specifically a balance. To perform this function, the monitoring device is equipped with an inclination sensor based on the principle of a spirit level, with a container filled with ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7324747 | Aircraft fuselage element and method of taking a number of pictures An aircraft fuselage element (26) with a fuselage body (30) which forms an internal cavity (40) and which includes a viewing window (32, 34). To provide for taking substantially distortion-free high-resolution pictures in the infrared wav... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7268676 | Actuated braking and distance sensing system for operational regulation of belt loader equipment An actuated braking and distance sensing system for operational regulation of belt loader equipment and/or other applicable ground support equipment, wherein the present invention incorporates, among other embodiments, spring-responsive actuated emergency braking an... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7237287 | Patient care bed with network A bed including a frame, a deck, a siderail, a communication network and a graphic caregiver interface module. The graphic caregiver interface module includes an input device, a control circuit, a memory, and a display. ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7190140 | Sliding mode controller position control device A position control device for causing a position of a control system, including a servomotor and a moving body driven by the servomotor, to track a command value. The position control device includes a sliding mode controller for receiving command position r and sta... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7190097 | Cross plane wide-gap motor system for gimbal An apparatus for the control and alignment of a sensor on a moving vehicle is provided that includes a gimbal ball supported by an outer axis structure and adapted to pivot about an outer elevation axis and about an outer azimuth axis. The outer axis structure is mo... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7176649 | DC motor control apparatus and recording apparatus When torque of a DC motor is dropped down to zero at a stop position, force is generated by deformation of a member for transmitting the torque of the DC motor. The force moves the driven body which is in the stopped state, which results in a shift of the driven bod... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7174242 | Ship motion predictor There is disclosed a predictive filter for predicting the future position of a look direction of a rotating directional antenna mounted on a vessel. Prediction of a look direction of the antenna at any instant is made from input of ship's compass data including roll... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7147299 | Control unit and method for controlling motor for use in printer, and storage medium storing control program There is provided a control unit capable of rapid and precise stoppage of an object to be driven by a motor for use in a printer. The control unit has a speed control part to control the object by acceleration control, constant speed control, deceleration control, a... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7102528 | Device for determining and/or monitoring a predetermined filling level in a container A device for establishing and/or monitoring a predetermined fill level in a container is provided, to indicate the fill level in a container and exhibiting a best possible, optimum fit for an application, which device includes: a mechanical oscillatory structure pla... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7095202 | Performance input apparatus Operating section provided on a base is displaceable, in response to operation by a human operator, relative to the base with respect to at least one displacement axis, such as one linear-displacement axis and two rotary-displacement axes. A plurality of pivot axes ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7087008 | Apparatus and methods for delivery of transcranial magnetic stimulation Disclosed are apparatus and methods for delivery of transcranial magnetic stimulation. The apparatus includes a TMS coil which when energized generates an electric field substantially parallel to a long axis of the coil and substantially normal to a surface of the c... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7078875 | DC motor control apparatus and recording apparatus When torque of a DC motor is dropped down to zero at a stop position, force is generated by deformation of a member for transmitting the torque of the DC motor. The force moves the driven body which is in the stopped state, which results in a shift of the driven bod... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7055195 | Patient bed with CPR system An electrically activated emergency system for a patient bed comprises: an electrically powered linear actuator for driving a back rest of the patient bed from a lowered back rest position to a raised back rest position and operable to permit the back rest to lower ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7009321 | Compact two-axis wide gap torquer motor A novel design concept for a torquer motor is useful for stabilizing apparatuses in a vibrating structure. According to one aspect, a novel design for a coil pair is provided. A first coil in the pair is box shaped with a hollow interior portion and windings provide... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6998812 | Method for determining the mass moment of inertia of an electric motor drive system A method for determining the mass moment of inertia of an electric motor drive system of a machine, having a drive motor and further drive elements arranged downstream of the drive motor. The method includes a) determining a compensation current, which compensates l... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6947809 | Method of modifying stamping tools for spring back compensation based on tryout measurements A method of developing a stamping die for a workpiece is provided, which includes the steps of stamping a workpiece in a current die. A measurement is made of the stamped workpiece to determine its profile. The profile is compared with the design intent workpiece to... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6946812 | Method and apparatus for providing force feedback using multiple grounded actuators An apparatus and method for interfacing the motion of a user-manipulable object with a computer system includes a user object physically contacted or grasped by a user. A 3-D spatial mechanism is coupled to the user object, such as a stylus or a medical instrument, ... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6909205 | Motor assembly allowing output in multiple degrees of freedom A motor allowing multiple degrees of output freedom includes a stator having an interior surface forming at least a portion of a sphere or curved surface and first and second substantially orthogonally positioned stator coils wound on the interior surface. A rotor i... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6904631 | Bariatric treatment system and related methods A bariatric treatment system providing a comprehensive array of therapeutic services for the morbidly obese patient is disclosed. The treatment system generally comprises a stable bed frame upon which is mounted a low air loss therapeutic mattress system. Integrated... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6888619 | Positioning device This invention is directed to precision positioning devices which are well suited to manufacturing and inspection of semiconductor devices. A pair of coil assembles are attached to a base plate. The base plate forms a static portion of a gas bearing assembly. A carr... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6877837 | Control unit and method for controlling motor for use in printer, and storage medium storing control program There is provided a control unit capable of rapid and precise stoppage of an object to be driven by a motor for use in a printer. The control unit has a speed control part to control the object by acceleration control, constant speed control, deceleration control, a... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6678582 | Method and control device for avoiding collisions between cooperating robots A method of avoiding collisions between a robot and at least one other object such as another robot is provided in which the user does not need to make any provisions in a robot program for avoiding collisions and defining common work-areas. Furthermore, ... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6621245 | System for the stabilization of an object mounted on a moving platform A calculation system for calculating the control signals which are designed to perform a frequency-dependent weighting of the angular velocity signals and the angular position signals. The angular velocity indicators are preferably used for stabilization ... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6600280 | Electric power steering system An electric power steering system is provided which employs an electric motor as a driving source to apply a steering assist force to a steering mechanism. The system includes: an operation degree detecting section for detecting an operation degree of an ... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6586901 | Methods and apparatus suitable for facilitating control of an aircraft rudder A method and an apparatus for controlling aircraft rudder movement are disclosed. The system including a yaw damping control portion integrated with a directional compensation rudder control portion, such that the system may simultaneously provide yaw dam... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6577030 | Electric power steering apparatus An electric power system having an electric motor, a speed-reduction mechanism, a power board on which components generating heat are mounted, a control board on which components generating little heat are mounted, a circuit case, and a heat sink for diss... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6417642 | Motor-controlling circuit for an optical-axis-adjusting unit of a vehicle illuminating device A motor-controlling circuit for an optical-axis-adjusting unit of an illuminating device. The motor-controlling circuit ensures smooth control of a motor, which adjusts an optical axis, and ensures accurate repetition of a motor-stop position by way of PI... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6373219 | Motor control system and motor control method An object of the present invention is to provide a motor control system comprising an R/D converter which is capable of outputting a good phase signal without being affected by the switching noise due to a PWM signal of an inverter and a motor control met... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6351092 | System for the stabilization of an object mounted on a moving platform A calculation system for calculating the control signals which are designed to perform a frequency-dependent weighting of the angular velocity signals and the angular position signals. The angular velocity indicators are preferably used for stabilization ... | 02/26/2002 |
| 6287735 | Method and apparatus for controlling the leveling table of a wafer stage A method and apparatus for controlling the leveling table of a wafer stage is described. More generally, the invention includes control circuitry for controlling motion of a stage, where the stage is adapted to support a workpiece. The control circuitry m... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6271640 | Exposure apparatus having reaction frame A guideless stage for aligning a wafer in a microlithography system is disclosed, and a reaction frame is disclosed which isolates both external vibrations as well as vibrations caused by reaction forces from an object stage. In the guideless stage an obj... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6265891 | Apparatus for detecting a coil short circuit in an electric motor For detecting a coil short-circuit in an electric motor such as a switched reluctance motor, an apparatus includes a first phase coil, a second phase coil, and a third phase coil. Through each of the coils, a current, whose amount is sensed by a current s... | 07/24/2001 |
| 6191550 | Method and apparatus for detecting abnormality in rotation sensor In a rotation sensor having a resolver attached to a rotor and a signal processing unit for angle detection for supplying a reference signal having a predetermined periodic waveform to the resolver, allowing the resolver to generate a sin signal having a ... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6181983 | Method of command control for a robot manipulator Beginning with a successive commanded end-effector destination shift, the method of the invention, which includes a calculation corresponding to a special algorithm of inverse kinematics using the Jacobi Matrix in the control of a manipulator, effects an ... | 01/30/2001 |
