Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7275380 | Thermal management system and method A method for determining a fan speed for a fan used to cool a payload is disclosed. The method includes, according to various embodiments, receiving a first signal indicative of a first fan speed and receiving a second signal indicative of a system temperature. The ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7263370 | Method for intelligent home controller and home monitor A method utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone n... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7196903 | Multiple source fan control with override An electronic system may comprise a variable speed fan, a first source coupled to the fan, and a second source coupled to the fan. Either of the first or second sources may control the speed of the fan. ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7146408 | Method and system for monitoring a controller and displaying data from the controller in a format provided by the controller An integrated control system comprises one or more controllers each equipped to perform a control function and to gather data (ordinarily from sensors) relevant to the control function. The data is combined with instructions, associated with the data, for causing a ... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7109892 | Device for activating an electronic control unit A device for activating a control unit is proposed. It includes at least one operating element operable by a user as well as analog encoding means assigned to the operating element. To generate an activation signal for a control unit, deactivation means are provided... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7033165 | Gas furnace controller A gas furnace controller for disrupting the flow of gas to a gas furnace upon detection of excessive levels of carbon monoxide comprises an air sample collector in fluid communication with a carbon monoxide detector, a gas supply shutoff circuit for controlling a va... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7015789 | State validation using bi-directional wireless link Building monitoring and control systems including bi-directional radio frequency links between master and remote units wherein the remote units operate in a low power, non-receiving state a majority of the time is disclosed. The bi-directional capability allows coor... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7005994 | Smart fire alarm and gas detection system A smart alarm system determines when fire, carbon monoxide, or both are present in a specific area and responds accordingly. If fire is detected, alarms are activated, emergency services are notified, and ventilation, namely vents and fans, is cut off in the specifi... | 02/28/2006 |
| 7001444 | Automated dust control method An automated method for suppressing fugitive dust dissemination is disclosed. The method provides for automated measurement of dust levels at remote locations, transmission of the measurements to a centralized monitoring and control system which sends a signal to re... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6982625 | Event-recorder for transmitting and storing electronic signature data An electronic event recorder for attachment to a vehicle is provided which can broadcast encrypted signature and data, thereby leaving behind an electronic version of a “fingerprint” in the event of an accident or traffic violation. The fingerprint, captured by ... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6924739 | Home resource controller system A system utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone n... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6892115 | Method and apparatus for optimized centralized critical control architecture for switchgear and power equipment A method of monitoring and controlling a power distribution system is provided. The power distribution system includes a plurality of circuit breakers, a plurality of node electronic units, and wherein each associated circuit breaker is electrically coupled with eac... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6737954 | Event-recorder for transmitting and storing electronic signature data An electronic event recorder for attachment to a vehicle is provided which can broadcast encrypted signature and data, thereby leaving behind an electronic version of a “fingerprint” in the event of an accident or traffic violation. The fingerprint, captured by ... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6590758 | Wakeup and safety circuits A wakeup circuit is disclosed that allows for provision of a circuit completing ground connection in response to actuation of a control for a networked accessory such that a resting system may draw zero current when not in use and respond upon actuation t... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6529530 | Multiplex communicating method When a CPU core 53 of a node detects change of data which comes into the node from a load 60 connected thereto on the input side, and thereby the CPU core 53 and a transmission control circuit 52 wake up, the node transmits a frame for waking-up to a tran... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6198394 | System for remote monitoring of personnel A system for remotely monitoring personnel status includes a plurality of sensors disposable on a soldier or other person for developing signals which may be used to determine the physiologicalal status. The sensors communicate with a soldier unit which c... | 03/06/2001 |
| 6025788 | Integrated local or remote control liquid gas leak detection and shut-off system A novel system for detecting liquid and/or gas leaks and automatically shutting off the source of the liquid and/or gas leak. The system includes electronically detecting undesirable liquid and/or gas leaks, electronically transmitting signal about such u... | 02/15/2000 |
| 6023223 | Early warning detection and notification network for environmental conditions An early warning detection and notification network for monitoring environmental conditions comprising a plurality of remotely located environmental sensors having a communications uplink to one or more earth orbiting satellites or other wireless transmis... | 02/08/2000 |
| 6002340 | Smart switch A configurable remote controller for remotely sensing the status(es) of one or more electrically-powered target systems and for altering the status(es) of the target systems in response. In one embodiment, the remote control device is coupled to a preexis... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5939998 | System and method for reducing quiescent current in a microcontroller A system having reduced quiescent current drawn from a power supply. The system includes a device having a status. Moreover, the system includes a microcontroller, having an active and a sleep mode of operation, for polling the status of the device during... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5905433 | Trailer communications system A trailer communications system (36) is provided. The system (36) includes a trailer transducer unit (22) for location on a trailer (12). A vehicle transducer unit (24) can be located on a vehicle (26, 28, 30) or a stationary object (32). The trailer tran... | 05/18/1999 |
| 5895445 | Method for managing facilities and workers within a closed range A method efficiently manages equipment and personnel within a closed passage such as a tunnel and the like. At a first step, sensing values measured by sensors through a corresponding AUX device in each set are monitored to generate a set of monitored sen... | 04/20/1999 |
| 5790046 | Sensor with a programmable switching threshold A programmable switching threshold sensor including a sensing element having its measurement output terminals connected to a comparator, a current-signal generator, for generating a reference current signal changing in steps. An encoding unit has a code a... | 08/04/1998 |
| 5790797 | Load distribution system for monitoring device In order to lighten the processing load on each monitoring device and enable each monitoring device to recognize the operating condition of a network as a whole, each monitoring device monitors operating conditions of transmission devices in a subnetwork ... | 08/04/1998 |
| 5736928 | Pre-processor apparatus and method An apparatus and a method can be used to pre-process an output signal from an ambient condition sensor. The preprocessing removes noise pulses which are not correlated with an ambient condition being sensed. Preprocessing can be carried out by comparing t... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5694617 | System for prioritizing quiesce requests and recovering from a quiescent state in a multiprocessing system with a milli-mode operation A milli-mode routine handles a quiesce interrupt, and causes all the processors in the system to enter a quiesced state. A single bit of a millicode control register indicates a quiesced state and drives an output of the processor to indicate the processo... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5613228 | Gain adjustment method in two-way communication systems A method for minimizing the power used by a remote transceiver in 2-way communication between local and remote transceivers. By repeatedly transmitting a signal with successively increasing power from one transceiver until a response is received from the ... | 03/18/1997 |
| 5576739 | Carbon monoxide safety system Described is a system for measuring noxious gas concentration in an affected space and for controlling the device producing the noxious gas or for decreasing the concentration of the gas in the affected space. The invention is particularly described in re... | 11/19/1996 |
| 5574938 | Allowed operational-link transceiver table verifies the operational status of transceivers in a multiple conductor data transmission link A system for the transmission of information between elements of a data processing complex and a method for establishing such a system. Two elements of a data processing system are connected by a physical link comprising multiple conductors attached to tr... | 11/12/1996 |
| 5554978 | Automobile multiple communication system operable under low power consumption A multiplex communication system for an automobile which achieves low-power-consumption operation of a plurality of child stations. The system includes a parent station having a judging element to judge whether a communication mode of the system correspon... | 09/10/1996 |
| 5528229 | Thermostatically controlled remote control for a ceiling fan and light An apparatus and method for thermostatically controlling the operation of a multiple speed fan and light assembly by inputting a desired temperature range and airflow direction for each fan speed and by inputting a single number for controlling the on tim... | 06/18/1996 |
| 5481738 | Apparatus and method for communicating a quiesce and unquiesce state between elements of a data processing complex A system for the transmission of information between elements of a data processing complex and a method for establishing such a system. Two elements of a data processing system are connected by a physical link comprising multiple conductors attached to tr... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5418526 | Slave bus controller circuit for class A motor vehicle data communications A Class A node comprising a slave bus controller circuit (SBCC) operates as a remote input/output device for performing Class A communications for a master Class B node over an interconnecting SAE J1850 or similar network. The SBCC receives messages from ... | 05/23/1995 |
| 5414858 | System and method for dynamically varying between interrupt and polling to service requests of computer peripherals A system and method for managing service requests from peripherals connected to a personal computer or workstation by operating both in an interrupt mode and a polling mode, with selective transition therebetween. In one practice of the invention, periphe... | 05/09/1995 |
| 5365514 | Event driven interface for a system for monitoring and controlling a data communications network An Event Driven Interface (EDI) is disclosed for use as a subsystem of a monitoring and control system for a data communications network. The network communicates a serial stream of binary bits having a characteristic pattern. The system includes a contro... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5319574 | Status change monitoring apparatus A status change monitoring apparatus monitors an apparatus to be monitored to indicate a monitoring result. The monitoring apparatus comprises a new data latching unit for latching new data, an old data latching unit for latching old data received before ... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5185708 | Method for collecting data by a manufacturing process manager from a plurality of programmable logic controllers A data collection method is provided for use on a computer system including a host processor which is coupled to a plurality of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) via a communications bus. Each PLC is coupled to a respective controlled machine to gathe... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5184119 | Unauthorized utility use monitor apparatus and method A system for monitoring use of a utility at a consumer's premises is disclosed. The system may include monitoring apparatus to detect use of the utility, a first register to store an indicator signal indicating whether or not use of the utility at the con... | 02/02/1993 |
| 5041825 | Remote control system for combined ceiling fan and light fixture A control unit for a combined ceiling fan and light fixture (ceiling unit) is coupled to a temperature sensor monitoring the temperature of the room containing the ceiling unit, has manual entry keys for controlling fan energization, speed and direction a... | 08/20/1991 |
| 4970506 | Method and apparatus for controlling the start of data transmission In a method of controlling the start of data communication between two LSIs (master and slave) effecting a ping-pong transmission and the configuration of those LSIs, both the master and slave LSIs receive and detect a start instruction signal before star... | 11/13/1990 |
