Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5287547 | Transmission and reception system In a home bus system control signals and information signals are carried between a transmission station at one location and reception stations at other locations. There are plural signal sources at the transmitting station and plural types of signal forma... | 02/15/1994 |
| 5280281 | Method of and system for data communication in communication network on automobile A communication network, such as an audiovisual system, on an automobile has a master unit and a plurality of slave units which are connected to a common communication bus. Each of the master and slave units is capable of successively issuing a plurality ... | 01/18/1994 |
| 5274636 | Automatic multiplex data link system, symbol encoder decoder therefor A symbol encoder and decoder device for use with a microcontroller and a transceiver (forming a node) for encoding and decoding defined symbols made up of digital bits of various lengths and for transferring to and recovering symbol messages on a single w... | 12/28/1993 |
| 5255180 | Control apparatus for systematically operating audio and/or video sets An audiovisual system includes audio, video, and/or audiovisual components and microcomputers for controlling the components, respectively. When one of the components is operated on, data is sent from the corresponding microcomputer to a main microcompute... | 10/19/1993 |
| 5233342 | Remote control system A remote control system is employed with a view to realization of automated/unattended control in supervisory control of power equipment, transportion/traffic equipment, building equipment, home equipment, and the like. This remote control system includes... | 08/03/1993 |
| 5223825 | Communication control system and communication control apparatus A communication control system or a communication control apparatus executes communication control among A/V (audio/visual) equipment or due to mutual connection with various information equipment. The communication control apparatus has a communication i... | 06/29/1993 |
| 5204662 | Monitor television apparatus A monitor television apparatus equipped with a plurality of input terminals for AV signals and adapted to serve as an output apparatus selectively for a plurality of AV appliances by switching the input terminals, wherein command signals for the AV applia... | 04/20/1993 |
| 5193208 | Signal transmission system A signal transmission system in which a variery of electronic apparatus which can transmit audio and/or video informations (AV informations) or the like are concentratedly installed is comprised of main control means for controlling a variety of electroni... | 03/09/1993 |
| 5182551 | Remote control system for audio/video devices By the determination of the controlled device on a reception side of the remote control apparatus, all the devices connected to the system may be controlled by the transmitter of one unit of the remote control apparatus, and they also may be controlled by... | 01/26/1993 |
| 5182552 | Multiple zone audio system A audio system may be monitored and controlled from one of many remote locations. The audio sources are located at a central location, however, the signals monitored at a remote location may originate from the same or a different source as the signal bein... | 01/26/1993 |
| 5132679 | Remote control system for a plurality of controlled devices Operation information for distinguishing each operation of a wireless signal transmitter of a remote control system is included in a wireless signal of the wireless signal transmitter, the operation information is memorized in an AV apparatus which is des... | 07/21/1992 |
| 5128936 | Communication bus system and station for use in such a communication bus system A multi-station communication bus system allows for the use of several master stations by way of an arbitration organization. A message contains a master address which is subjected to an arbitration operation, a slave address with space for a slave addres... | 07/07/1992 |
| 5001473 | Method of controlling a multiplicity of units of video apparatus Several video cassette recorders are among studio video equipments operated from a control unit at a control desk as a cluster of studio video equipments interconnected by a coaxial line constituting a digital data bus. The video cassette recorders have s... | 03/19/1991 |
| 4985699 | Free stand with programmable music program playing means A tree stand includes programmable circuitry allowing various messages to be played and lights to be illuminated responsive to actuation of various switches. The various switches are placed on the floor surface adjacent the tree stand and presents are pla... | 01/15/1991 |
| 4969082 | Control method for a collective wiring system A collective wiring system for an automobile provides a central control unit which communicates with a plurality of terminal control units each connected to one or more input or output devices, such as switches, sensors, motors and the like. The control o... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4958381 | Two way communication system An information transmitting system capable of two way communication, suitable for use in transmitting information signals between a central control unit and a plurality of terminal apparatus units. Each terminal apparatus unit may be located at a differen... | 09/18/1990 |
| 4897714 | Passenger vehicle service system A system and method for providing service in a passenger vehicle having a plurality of passaenger seats. Tree-structured menu data are transmitted from a head end apparatus to a plurality of terminal units (each provided at one of the passenger seats) and... | 01/30/1990 |
| 4896209 | Passenger vehicle polling system having a central unit for polling passenger seat terminal units A passenger vehicle polling system. The system is capable of polling one or more terminal units, where each terminal unit is provided at a different one of a plurality of passenger seats in a passenger vehicle, to obtain information indicative of the stat... | 01/23/1990 |
| 4862159 | Centralized system for selecting and reproducing perceptible programs A system for selecting and reproducing audio, video, or other humanly perceptible programs comprises a program source providing a multiplicity of program signals, a plurality of stations at which individual programs may be reproduced, a switching mechanis... | 08/29/1989 |
| 4855730 | Component audio/video system with timed control of plural peripheral devices A component audio/video system includes a system controller having an input/output port adapted for connection via a bidirectional data bus to a plurality of peripheral audio/video devices. At times determined by a system master clock the controller trans... | 08/08/1989 |
| 4855896 | Collective wiring system and method of control thereof A collective wiring system for an automobile provides a central control unit which communicates with a plurality of terminal control units each connected to one or more input or output devices, such as switches, sensors, motors and the like. The control o... | 08/08/1989 |
| 4821032 | Communication system for video information apparatus A communication system for video information apparatus for carrying out a communication between a video information apparatus and a peripheral apparatus arranged so that a communication is repeatedly carried out at a period synchronized with a signal of a... | 04/11/1989 |
| 4808992 | Component audio/video system with automatic turn-off of peripheral devices A component audio/video system includes a system controller coupled to supply selection and control commands to a plurality of peripheral audio/video devices and to receive status messages therefrom. The devices may be selected to form a number of differe... | 02/28/1989 |
| 4637022 | Internally register-modelled, serially-bussed radio system In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a register-modelled radio system comprising a plurality of register-modelled processors having addressable registers for modelling the virtual state of the processor; a serial bus, interconnectin... | 01/13/1987 |
| 4626847 | Remote control transmitter system A hand-held remote control transmitter for controlling a plurality of functions in a number of different devices includes a matrix keyboard comprising keys operating two independent switches with a single depression, with the first switches selecting a me... | 12/02/1986 |
| 4598287 | Remote control apparatus Remote control apparatus for controlling a number of pieces of equipment in which each unit includes a microprocessor which produces a first remote control signal on its data bus line and an interface circuit including a first latch circuit which receives... | 07/01/1986 |
| 4503528 | Method and apparatus for controlling vehicle mounted devices and equipment A demand for a change in the operating condition of at least one of a plurality of vehicle mounted devices is issued by means of a single push button switch attached to the center of the steering wheel. When the vehicle occupant intends to manipulate a de... | 03/05/1985 |
| 4496947 | Function switching system for an audio/video apparatus In an audio recording and reproducing system comprising a combination of audio units including a record player, a tuner and a tape deck and an amplifier unit including a preamplifier, a function switching system comprises a control unit arranged in the am... | 01/29/1985 |
| 4484258 | Apparatus for controlling distributed electrical loads An apparatus for controlling distributed electrical loads including a microprocessor based central controller coupled via a twisted pair bidirectional data line to a plurality of microcomputer based transceiver decoders. Each transceiver decoder is couple... | 11/20/1984 |
| 4439784 | Power cutting device for terminal units of CATV system In a CATV system, power supplies of television sets associated with all terminal units are cut in response to an instruction contained in a down-data signal supplied by a central facility of the system. It is possible to cut the power supplies of the tele... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4418333 | Appliance control system An appliance control system includes a central control unit and a plurality of slave units each including a user-programmable microprocessor and respectively plugged into outlet sockets of a power main in a building, appliances being respectively coupled ... | 11/29/1983 |
| 4200862 | Appliance control An applicance control system comprises a data transmitter and plurality of slave units plugged into outlet sockets of a power main of a building, appliances being coupled to the slave units. The transmitter housing includes a data input arrangement by whi... | 04/29/1980 |
| 4163217 | Remote load control system To connect cyclically intermittently operating loads to a pulse controlled remote control system, for example having a central system controlling connection of loads on board of a vehicle, such as an automotive vehicle, cyclically operating loads are inte... | 07/31/1979 |
| 4155075 | Remote control system for selective load switching, specifically for automotive vehicles A central station is connected to a ring bus system to which a number of separately addressable loads are connected through specific load receivers. The central station has a switching system by operation of selected switches of which, specific loads can ... | 05/15/1979 |
| 3985217 | Control system for a coin-operated musical machine A control system for the selection and storage of each phonograph record side to be played in a coin-operated juke box having a storage and credit mechanism. A microcomputer operating as a process computer has a number of inputs and outputs limited to a m... | 10/12/1976 |
