Bizarre Patents
A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or wall.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8145421 | Facility searching device, facility searching method, and vehicle-mounted navigation apparatus A facility searching device includes a road selecting unit for selecting an arbitrary road from road data stored in a storage unit, and a road facility searching unit for searching for facilities located along the road selected by the road selection unit. Therefore,... | 03/27/2012 |
| 7973678 | Control of building systems based on the location and movement of a vehicle tracking device A control for a system in a building. The control includes a tracking device, a controller, and a programmer. The tracking device is configured to travel with a vehicle and to determine where the tracking device is located. The controller is configured to be located... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7471215 | Moving object position display device and method Additional information is provided to a moving object mark to enhance viewability and improve convenience. A moving object position display device has an information data obtaining part obtaining information data including an icon associated with a target, a map dat... | 12/30/2008 |
| 7466244 | Virtual earth rooftop overlay and bounding Provided is a single repository for capturing, connecting, sharing, and visualizing information based on a geographic location, for example. Detailed information of a structure or object information can be displayed on a rooftop or over an area of interest. The deta... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7426480 | In-vehicle promotions system An in-vehicle promotions system and a method for distributing promotions information. A system is installed in a vehicle able to display promotions information from stores or other businesses subscribing to the system. When the vehicle is driven within a certain pro... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7423553 | Image display apparatus, image display method, measurement apparatus, measurement method, information processing method, information processing apparatus, and identification method An external index detection unit (105) receives an image sensed by a camera (100), and detects an external index set in a real scene. A tachometer (110) measures the rotational velocities of two rear wheels of a vehicle. A vehicle measurement un... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7421466 | Dynamic mapping of wireless network devices Methods and apparatus for presenting dynamic mapping information in a wireless network are useful in locating or identifying a desired service-providing device within the wireless network relative to a service-requesting device. The mapping information may be physic... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7412326 | Map display device and map display method A map display device which scroll-displays a travel route simply scroll-displays a route from a current driving location to a destination on an entire screen. The map display device of the present invention is a map display device which displays a map regarding a tr... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7409221 | Technique for communicating information concerning a product or service provider to a vehicle In an automobile, communications to and from the automobile are in the form of messages. Such messages are referred to as “electronic car-mail” or “C-mail” messages as each message has a destination or origination address which includes an identifier, e.g., ... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7403134 | Vehicle driver guarding system using vehicle telematics service and control method thereof A vehicle driver guarding system using a vehicle telematics service and a control method thereof are provided. The vehicle driver guarding system includes: a vehicle telematics system for receiving a final destination, calculating a final destination arrival expecta... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7398156 | Point search apparatus and in-vehicle navigation apparatus There are provided a point search apparatus and an in-vehicle navigation apparatus capable of searching destination candidates from which a user can view a visual target that he/she desires. A search means is formed so as to search destination candidates from which ... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7394403 | Everyday wireless vehicle notification and vehicle location systems and methods related thereto The present invention features a system and methods for notifying passengers of an approaching vehicle. Utilizing such a system and methods, passengers can remain in a safe, controlled environment, avoiding harsh environmental conditions and excessive waiting times,... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7395140 | Geographic information system and method for monitoring dynamic train positions A geographic information system (GIS) displays geographic roadway data, geographic track data and geographic train position data. The GIS includes a GIS database having static roadway and track data. A computer aided dispatching (CAD) system includes a task to deter... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7376510 | Map display for a navigation system A system and method are disclosed for displaying map information on a portable computing device. When approaching a location at which maneuvering guidance is to be provided by the portable computing device, the portable computing device presents alternating images o... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7375622 | Alarm generation method and apparatus An on-vehicle alarm generation method and an on-vehicle alarm generation apparatus for notifying a driver to be aware of safe driving by detecting a passerby or a bicycle moving at a dangerous point and generating an alarm to the driver are provided. In one aspect, ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7366608 | G.P.S. management system A management system using Global Positioning System receivers for tracking remote units from a central office and quickly and conveniently determining if those remote units have varied from a set of predetermined parameters of operation. The system also includes pro... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7365651 | Method and apparatus for selecting a user interface A controller (10) senses via one or more sensors (12) parameters that correspond to likely cognitive loading for the driver of a vehicle. Based upon a sense of this cognitive loading, the controller (10) selects a particular user interface mode ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7363146 | Car navigation system and program When a corridor operation is conducted in a car navigation system, a stoppable place where a vehicle is able to stop is retrieved before a map disk is removed. The stoppable place is a place that is located along a route to a destination and also as close as possibl... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7363153 | Re-routing apparatus and method for calculating an optimum alternative path to an original path from a position deviated from the original path in a navigation system and a navigation system using the same A re-routing apparatus and method for calculating an optimum path from a path deviated position to an original path in a navigation system, and a navigation system using this apparatus and method are disclosed. When a movable body traveling on a predetermined path p... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7363061 | Information registering and retrieving system, in-vehicle apparatus and portable apparatus When an in-vehicle apparatus receives an information retrieval request from a portable cellular phone along with a phone ID of the cellular phone, a link key is generated in the in-vehicle apparatus based on the phone ID and an apparatus ID of the in-vehicle apparat... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7359798 | Method of controlling display of point information on map A map of a zoom area to be zoomed is displayed within a display screen while point information excluded from the zoom area is displayed in a position for indicating a direction thereof in a periphery of the map of the zoom area. ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7346451 | Electronic device and program for displaying map When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (col... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7337750 | Animal deterrent device An animal deterrent device design to prevent animals from intruding into gardens, fields, yards, etc., which comprises a light source illuminating a flag or other signaling device, designed to be moved in an irregular fashion by a motor when a timer activates and th... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7324989 | Method of performing data searches on a network A method of performing data searches on a network includes the step of maintaining a database of electronic documents on a computer system forming a node on the network, such that each electronic document is associated with at least one resource description. Search ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7324897 | Using route narrative symbols Techniques are provided for displaying a route symbol with narrative driving directions. A route symbol for a particular maneuver may be used to represent the road to which the maneuver relates. For example, one type of a route symbol that may be used to represent a... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7324896 | Using a corridor search to identify locations of interest along a travel route A corridor search process is used to identify locations of interest along a travel route. The corridor search process identifies locations of interest along a travel route by using a grid search process that first identifies shape points that correspond to the trave... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7321783 | Mobile entertainment and communication device A mobile entertainment and communication device in a palm-held size housing has a cellular or satellite telephone capable of wireless communication with the Internet and one or more replaceable memory card sockets for receiving a blank memory card for recording data... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7321824 | Presenting a travel route using more than one presentation style Techniques are provided for presenting a route in a manner that emphasizes the route and provides context information. For example, a vivid color or vivid colors may be used to display the route, and pastel colors or other desaturated colors may be used for non-rout... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7317449 | Key-based advanced navigation techniques The present invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates navigating smoothly and gracefully through any type of content viewable on portable devices. Such navigation can be performed while preserving perspective and context with respect to a larger... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7315242 | Combination car alarm and personal locator system A combination vehicle alarm and locator device. The device includes a housing, a vehicle alarm activator positioned within the housing including a transmitter for activating an alarm system on a vehicle and an infrared transmitting device located in the housing for ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7305417 | System and process for identifying objects and/or points nearby a given object or point A system and process is presented that identifies nearby objects and/or points in relation to a base object or point. An object or point is nearby if it resides within a prescribed area around the base point. The identification is based on information accessed from ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7301992 | Multipath processing for GPS receivers A GPS receiver system determines the presence of trackable signals at code delays less than the prompt delay being tracked for a particular, signal and changes the prompt delay to correspond to the smallest code delay having a trackable signal. Trackable signals at ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7302359 | Mapping systems and methods Improved systems and methods for mapping are provided. In one embodiment, a system for mapping is provided. The system comprises a rangefinder adapted to output range measurements; an inertial sensor adapted to capture inertial measurements including inertial forces... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7301497 | Stereo display for position sensing systems A method for display of radar data includes performing a first radar scan to obtain, for at least one object (24), a first range reading, a first azimuth reading, and a first altitude reading. A second radar scan is then performed to obtain, for the at least ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7295633 | Triple multiplexing spread spectrum receiver A GPS car navigation system derives GPS position update information from motion of the car along the actual track. Turns along the track are detected when they actually occur and are compared with the predicted turns so that the time and position at the actual turn ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7292159 | Method and system for providing tracking services to locate an asset The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7292209 | System and method of driving an array of optical elements A system and/or method for controlling a display array without the use of row and column drivers. The display elements within the system are configured to maintain an active address signal in response to a received signal containing serially encoded display settings... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7289790 | System for providing device authentication in a wireless network A system and method are provided for authenticating a new device in a wireless network using an authentication device. First, the new device estimates the distance between the new device and the authenticating device as a first distance measurement, and sends the fi... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287874 | Portable signal light, vehicle guidance tool and vehicle guidance method When using, an entire length from a grip portion to a light emitting lamp portion is elongated by drawing out the light emitting lamp portion from the grip portion so as to extend, and each of light emitting diodes in the light emitting lamp portion is turned so as ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7286929 | Method and system to configure and utilize geographical zones A method to define a geographical zone is disclosed. The geographical zone can be utilized to regulate a movable entity and the actions within the geographical zone. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plural... | 10/23/2007 |
