Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7649443 | Antitheft apparatus An antitheft apparatus includes a control section. When a status change from a closed state to an open state of a luggage door caused by regular means is detected in an arming state being ready to output an alarm, the control section shifts a status from the arming ... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7441414 | Method for pre-cooling automotive vehicle passenger compartment The present invention concerns a method for pre-cooling the passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle. The vehicle includes at least one electrically actuatable window and a HVAC system having at least a controller, a blower, a passenger compartment temperature... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7403099 | Smart key system A smart key system for a vehicle determines that a mobile communicator is not in the passenger compartment and that an in-trunk communicator communicates with the mobile communicator when the trunk gets locked. Then the smart key system executes a recovery process f... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7327250 | System for providing a virtual vehicle boundary System for providing a virtual vehicle boundary. The system includes a method for activating a virtual fence for use with a delivery vehicle. The method comprises steps of detecting a protection event, determining that the protection event is an activation event, an... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7245997 | Remote monitoring system and method A smart key carried with a user is provided with switches for monitoring a vehicle in remote places, such as a departure-time monitor switch, a return-time monitor switch and an all item monitor switch. The switches are associated with monitor information indicating... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7242282 | Wireless anti-lockout system The wireless anti-lockout system automatically unlocks a driver's side door when the driver locks the car keys within the car. The anti-lockout system includes door-lock and trunk-lock sensors, a key chain transponder, transponder sensors and an occupant presence se... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7215242 | Vehicular burglar-proof system A vehicular burglar-proof system includes (i) a plurality of alarm unit, (ii) a detection unit for detecting movement, opening, and closing of a movable body, and (iii) a control unit connected to the plurality of alarm unit and the detection unit. A predetermined o... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7196612 | Saddle type vehicle having a remote control type trunk A saddle type vehicle including at least one trunk provided with a lid, an opening/closing mechanism for permitting and rejecting the opening and closing of the lid, and a radio signal receiving unit which receives a radio signal for remotely operating the opening/c... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7141890 | Automobile anti-theft device An automobile anti-theft device disrupting normal operation of an automobile. To attain this, incorporated into an automobile is a module configured to disrupt the normal firing of the automobile's spark plugs upon actuation of a user-controlled controller. In an em... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7118152 | Automotive cargo restraint and security screen A screen system is stowed in a compact storage position at a forward part of the rear cargo area adjacent the floor. The screen is extendable from the storage position to provide multiple uses. A vertical orientation of the screen can provide a rear seat storage poc... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7109853 | System for detecting and releasing a person locked in the trunk of a vehicle A vehicle safety system automatically detects the presence of a person sealed in the trunk of an automobile by sensing the CO2 respiration of the person. Visible, audio and radio alarms are generated in response to the detection of a person in the trunk. ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7075416 | Automotive universal latch control implementation Latch control methods and systems include a latch that receives power from a motor associated with an H-bridge circuit. A sensor can be provided for monitoring the latch, wherein the sensor obtains latch feedback data from the latch. A microcontroller controls the l... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7071818 | Device used for protecting a car against thievery A device includes a base secured in a car, a stopping block displaceable on the base, an actuating member for displacing the stopping block with, and a lock block secured around a steel rope of a control of a hood of the car, which control can be used to pull the st... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7049943 | Vehicle trunk safety device A vehicle trunk safety device indicates the presence of an individual within the trunk. ... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7012508 | System and method for controlling a door A door opener control system for outdoor power equipment. The system may generally include a transmitter coupled to the outdoor power equipment, a switch in communication with the transmitter, and a power supply, such that the transmitter is operable to remotely con... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6977581 | Method for authorizing unlocking and/or starting of a motor vehicle and associated device A method for identifying and authorizing unlocking or starting of a motor vehicle for a hands-free access system includes a central unit exchanging identification messages with identification units according to a communication procedure. The communication procedure ... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6930592 | System for protecting the loading space of vehicles A system for protecting the loading space of vehicles, in particular passenger cars, with sensors for sensing loaded material in the loading space, detectors for sensing the state of protective devices in the loading space and being configured for signal generation ... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6836209 | Liftgate anti-pinch detector utilizing back-up sensors An improved system for detecting the presence of an object in the path of a liftgate relies upon the sensor/transmitters that are used for collision avoidance systems to detect the presence of an object rearwardly of a vehicle moving in a reverse direction. Known se... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6831376 | Method and apparatus for unlocking a trunk lid A method and apparatus for unlocking a trunk lid of a motor vehicle is suggested which ensures that a person in the interior of the trunk can free himself from this trunk. For this purpose, an unlocking handle is provided in the interior which, when it is operated a... | 12/14/2004 |
| 6825755 | Vehicle trunk emergency release A vehicle trunk release mechanism for releasing a trunk lid of a vehicle from within the interior of the trunk has a contact mat and an actuator, which is responsive to repeated contact with the contact mat. ... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6812830 | Emergency operating device for an interior compartment of a vehicle The emergency operating device for releasing a trunk lock mechanism of a motor vehicle, in which a human, especially a small child, or an animal could be locked, includes a sensor device in the trunk and an evaluation device connected to the sensor device. The senso... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6761384 | Device for opening a trunk of a motor vehicle The present invention relates to a device for opening a lid of a trunk of a motor vehicle, there being mounted in the trunk an actuating element whose actuation results in the lid of the trunk being unlocked, if appropriate, and the lid being opened, the motor vehic... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6762676 | Vehicle compartment occupancy detection system A system is provided for detecting the presence of a human in a compartment of a vehicle that comprises a pyroelectric sensor and a control coupled to the pyroelectric sensor. The pyroelectric sensor comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element. Th... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6642838 | Safety system for automobiles A system detects the presence of an occupant in a land vehicle after the engine of the land vehicle has been turned off. The system activates an alarm and a cooling system as well as unlocks the doors of the vehicle. Thus, help can be notified and the tem... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6335687 | Locked-in person saving apparatus A trunk locked-in person saving apparatus without using a mechanical lever. The trunk locked-in person saving apparatus includes: a pyroelectric sensor for detecting behavior of a person who is accidentally locked in a trunk; a detection apparatus for det... | 01/01/2002 |
| 6323762 | Car jacking prevention system A car jacking prevention system that is triggered in a number of ways and that allows a vehicle owner or driver to establish a safe distance between himself/herself and the car jacker before the car jacking prevention system triggers a number of anti-thef... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6222442 | Vehicle trunk compartment emergency release and warning system and method In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus for detecting the presence of, and providing for the release of, a person in a vehicle trunk compartment, including: a presence detector system to detect motion in the vehicle trunk compartment; and upon detection o... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6091322 | Trunk monitoring system A device and method for monitoring a vehicle storage compartment for the presence of a confined individual includes at least one sensor adapted for sensing the presence of a living being confined in a vehicle storage compartment and generating a sensor si... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6018292 | Emergency trunk release apparatus A emergency trunk release apparatus of disclosed, comprised of comprising a lock bypass panel, located inside a trunk compartment. The lock bypass panel consists of an activation switch that is wired in parallel with a vehicle's electric trunk release suc... | 01/25/2000 |
| 5952732 | Vehicle security system A vehicle security system attached to a power source for controlling a vehicle ignition. The vehicle security system includes first and second normally closed switches connected in series along a first power line between the power supply and a distributor... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5644287 | Combination underhood security switch and lamp assembly A combination underhood security switch and lamp assembly that provides a security signal to a body control module of a vehicle indicative of an unauthorized entry into an engine compartment of the vehicle. The lamp assembly includes a switch that is clos... | 07/01/1997 |
| 5539376 | Anti-tamper shield for auto alarm An anti-tamper shielding panel is held in position over an opening beneath an auto alarm installed in an auto engine compartment by a series of tension cables anchored at points within the engine compartment. The alarm is protected from efforts to disable... | 07/23/1996 |
| 5396216 | Vehicle theft deterrent system including hood locking means A theft deterrent system having two operational modes for selectively disabling a vehicle and sounding a siren. A first operational mode disables an engine component of the vehicle, sounds the siren, and locks the hood of the vehicle upon a use or a by-pa... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5166662 | Hood ornament tamper device An automobile alarm device, for an automobile of the type having an ornament mounted on a front part of the vehicle, such ornament incorporating a spring loaded mount, and the alarm device having a bracket attachable to the ornament, side portions extendi... | 11/24/1992 |
| 5153558 | Vehicle security system with battery tampering detection A vehicle anti-theft system is equipped with a circuit to produce a pulse signal when a disconnected vehicle battery is reconnected, and a normally asleep microcomputer based controller is programmed to wake up upon receipt of the pulse signal or another ... | 10/06/1992 |
| 5144281 | Hood ornament theft alarm A theft alarm for an automotive hood ornament which utilizes simple components and can be installed without removing any factory installed parts. The switch is contained in a plastic and aluminum housing which is mounted to the automobile under the hood. ... | 09/01/1992 |
| 5119064 | Hood ornament alarm actuator A theft alarm actuator is provided for an alarm system for a hood ornament, utilizing a pair of spaced insulating plugs held apart by a coil spring and retained together by the long end of a safety pin-like clip which engages a detent in the hood ornament... | 06/02/1992 |
| 5075668 | Hood ornament alarm An alarm for protecting automobile or motor vehicle hood ornaments from theft or vandalism. The alarm comprises a hollow conductive body section having a spring loaded assembly positioned within the body section. One end of the spring loaded assembly is c... | 12/24/1991 |
| 4994785 | Hood ornament alarm A Mercedes Benz hood ornament structure is modified to include an alarm actuator switch connected to the vehicle horn. The spring-loaded restraint which holds the hood ornament element in its upright position is affixed with a sliding contact which rises ... | 02/19/1991 |
| 4882563 | Hood ornament theft alarm A theft alarm is provided for a hood ornament utilizing a pair of spaced plugs held apart by a coil spring and retained together by a central hook and threaded post which extend through axial bores through the plugs with the hook extending up through the ... | 11/21/1989 |
