Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7363814 | Multi-axial angular velocity sensor An angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity about a Z-axis in an XYZ coordinate system has a substrate oscillator, a flexible member for connecting the oscillator to a casing, a device for oscillating the oscillator in an X-axis direction, and a detect... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7356588 | Circuits and methods for detecting the presence of a powered device in a powered network Circuits and methods for detecting the presence of a powered device in a powered network connection and removing power from the powered network connection when no powered device is present are disclosed. The circuits and methods involve applying a time-varying volta... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7349822 | Slide pad system and method A method performed by a slide pad system is provided. The method includes generating a first direction measurement using a first capacitance measurement, generating a calibration measurement using a second capacitance measurement, and computing a first position usin... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7332915 | Sensor system and method of operating the same A sensor system comprising a sensor operable to provide an output signal representative of a sensed parameter is provided. The sensor system also comprises a control system coupled to the sensor, wherein the control system is operable to change a physical characteri... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7323886 | Linear capacitance measurement and touchless switch Capacitance measurement apparatus that enhances the sensitivity and accuracy of capacitive transducers, proximity sensors, and touchless switches. Each of two capacitors (C1, C2) under measurement has one end connected to ground and is kept at substant... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7322247 | Gasket having a fiber-optic pressure sensor assembly A sensor assembly includes a stainless steel tubular housing. Within the housing is a polyetheretherketone tube and a sensor. An optical fiber joins the sensor to a transmission cable and is fixedly positioned within the tube. A first end of the housing includes a p... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7321846 | Two-wire process control loop diagnostics A diagnostic device for coupling to a process control loop includes digital communication circuitry configured to receive a digital communication signal from the process control loop. The digital communication signal is a digitally modulated analog signal on the pro... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7317391 | Safety alert device A danger warning system includes a central station and modules connected via at least one series connection. A mechanism in the central stations determines the distance between the central station and the modules. The modules are triggered by the central station, su... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7301349 | Array sensor electronics Circuits and methods for detecting and amplifying sensor and sensor array (102, 104) output signals are presented. According to some aspects, a nonlinear feedback loop containing a sensor element provides a nonlinear transformation that compensates for a corr... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7290450 | Process diagnostics A diagnostic device for use in a industrial process includes monitoring electronics or diagnostic circuitry configured to diagnose or identify a condition or other occurrence in the industrial process. The system can be implemented in a process device such as a flow... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7287415 | Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) viscosity sensor for fluid health monitoring Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a MEM viscosity sensor that is configured to be operated submerged in a liquid. The MEMS viscosity sensor comprises a MEMS variable capacitor comprising a plurality of capacitor plates capable of being submerged i... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7279863 | Method and apparatus for detecting excitation position of SRM by comparison of detected current Disclosed is a method and apparatus for detecting an excitation position of an SRM by comparison of detected currents. The method includes detecting a current by applying a first test voltage to each phase of the SRM, detecting a current by applying a second test vo... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7277267 | Multi-layer capacitive transducer A capacitive transducer of multi-layer construction includes two rotor plates supported by flexible springs, the plates being spaced apart and rigidly connected by a stem. One rotor plate my be used as either a pickup electrode or a grounded target electrode for det... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7271730 | Occupant determination apparatus and occupant determination method An occupant determination apparatus and an occupant determination method accurately determine a size of an occupant, with a simple configuration where a plurality of electrodes are arranged on one layer, and eliminate errors due to the capacitance between an occupan... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7256505 | Shaft mounted energy harvesting for wireless sensor operation and data transmission A device for monitoring a rotating shaft is provided. The device measures strain in the shaft and provides angular velocity and torque in the shaft. The device includes a sensor, sensor conditioning circuitry, a microprocessor, and a transmitter, all located on a ro... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7254518 | Pressure transmitter with diagnostics In one embodiment, a pressure transmitter is provided which diagnoses the condition of a primary element and/or an impulse line which connects to a pressure sensor. A difference circuit coupled to the pressure sensor has a difference output which represents the sens... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7239227 | Command interface using fingerprint sensor input system A substrate having a fingerprint sensing system usable as a command interface using finger movements. A user's fingerprint pattern is recognized and compared to previously stored reference patterns. If the fingerprint pattern matches a previously stored pattern, the... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7239150 | Pavement material microwave density measurement methods and apparatuses A method of obtaining a material property of a pavement material from a microwave field generally includes generating a microwave frequency electromagnetic field of a first mode about the pavement material. The frequency response of the pavement material in the elec... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7223014 | Remotely programmable integrated sensor transmitter A remotely programmable integrated sensor transmitter device for measuring and reporting a physical quantity of a given medium comprises a sensor for measuring a physical quantity of a medium and providing an electrical output as a function of the property measured,... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7218224 | Human body detection sensor A human body detection sensor includes two oscillation circuits, a tuning circuit which connects equivalent points of the two oscillation circuits to each other, an antenna electrode which is connected to any one of the oscillation circuits so that a change in circu... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7212075 | Downhole clock having temperature compensation A downhole crystal-based clock that is substantially insensitive to the factors that may cause frequency deviation as a result of downhole temperature. The clock may include a plurality of crystals, where a first crystal may be more stable, with respect to temperatu... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7209840 | Systems and methods for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption for an electric meter A system for providing remote monitoring of electricity consumption is provided. In one embodiment the system may comprise electric meters, communication devices having a unique address and defining a wireless communication network, and a site controller. Each elect... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7196527 | Redundant compact encoders A position transducer for a rotary member such as the rotor of a motor has a rotating encoder disc and flat, disc-shaped elements interacting with the encoder disc to produce position dependent signals. The encoder disc has at least one active element such as metal ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7194377 | Method for calibrating an analog sensor A method for determining the absolute angle of an angle position sensor over a predetermined rotation range and in which the sensor generates a repeating periodic analog signal across the rotation range. The initial position of the sensor is stored in memory when th... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7187299 | Systems and methods for measuring a parameter of a landfill including a barrier cap and wireless sensor systems and methods A method of measuring a parameter of a landfill including a cap, without passing wires through the cap, includes burying a sensor apparatus in the landfill prior to closing the landfill with the cap; providing a reader capable of communicating with the sensor appara... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7170301 | Touch sensing apparatus A touch sensing apparatus includes a signal source for generating an alternating current signal, a conductor connected to the signal source, a sensor for receiving a noise generated by a contact of an object. The sensor together with the conductor form a simulated c... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7167093 | Method of steering capacitor fields for use in capacitive sensing security systems The present invention provides a capacitive sensing apparatus having utility in object detection security applications whereby the object detection field generated by the apparatus is made steerable. The apparatus includes a power source having a ground connection i... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7159456 | Level indicator for liquid hydrogen tank A liquid hydrogen tank assembly that employs a level sensor inductively coupled through the tank walls so as to minimize one conductive heat path through the tank walls. The tank assembly includes an inner tank and an outer tank having a vacuum layer therebetween to... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7150190 | Method and apparatus for capacitively determining the uppermost level of a liquid in a container A liquid level sensor confirms actual physical contact between a probe and a liquid by verifying that any change in capacitance of the sensor is constant over a given time period and thereby is not caused by spurious electrical disturbances or other measuring irregu... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7141988 | Capacitive position sensor and sensing methodology A simple and robust variable coaxial capacitive sensor and detection method for monitoring the position of a rapidly reciprocating member such as a piston or displacer in a free piston Stirling engine. The coaxial capacitor of the present invention in a preferred em... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7138806 | Position detection The invention relates to a device for detecting the position of a rotor relative to a stator, wherein at least one electrode is arranged on the rotor and at least one electrode is arranged on the stator, such that the electrodes at least partially overlap in at leas... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7139613 | Implantable medical device communication system with pulsed power biasing An implantable medical device communication system communicates information between an implantable medical device and at least one slave device by way of a two-wire bus. Slave devices may include remote sensors, actuators and other implantable medical devices. The i... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7134354 | Display for process transmitter A transmitter for use in a process control system for monitoring an industrial process includes a housing having a top and a bottom and a height extending therebetween. A parallelogram display is mounted to the housing. Sides of the parallelogram display are arrange... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7135874 | System and method for enhanced measurement of rheological properties A sensor for measurement of small-angle or small-displacement position of a rotational rheometer incorporates multiple independent capacitors in a symmetric relationship. The device presents its output as a standard bridge configured differential signal, which can b... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7126495 | Linear electric encoder with facing transmitter and receiver A capacitive motion encoder, for sensing the position of a moving object relative to a stationary object, includes at least one stationary element, coupled to the stationary object and a moving element, coupled to the moving object and in proximity to the stationary... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7121185 | Hydraulic cylinder having a snubbing valve A hydraulic cylinder has a tube with a first end and a section end. The hydraulic cylinder also has a piston assembly movably disposed within the tube and configured to move between the first and second ends of the tube. The hydraulic cylinder further has a valve pl... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7112909 | Method and system for measuring wedge tightness A method for measuring wedge tightness in an electromechanical device includes providing a top ripple spring that includes a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion, positioning the top ripple spring at least partially within a stator slot defined within the... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7109883 | Low power physical layer for a bus in an industrial transmitter A process variable transmitter connects a serial bus to an accessory load. A supply limiter circuit provides a first supply current limit and provides a stored energy output. A recessive driver circuit draws a drive current from the stored energy output and couples ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7109862 | Method and device for detecting the contact of hands on a steering wheel A method and a device are described for detecting the contact between hands and a steering wheel, which assures that the driver of a vehicle has his hands on the steering wheel. ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7097226 | Safety system for a compartment of a vehicle A safety sensing and/or release system for a closed compartment of a vehicle is operable to detect an occupant within the vehicle compartment. The system may be operable to sense ambient conditions in the vehicle compartment, and may generate a control signal in res... | 08/29/2006 |
