...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8068040 | Optical encoder with integrated monitor A sensor head for sensing light modulated by a moveable member, such as a code wheel or code strip, in an optical encoder. The sensor head has at least one monitor optical sensor and a primary optical sensor positioned to receive light modulated by a modulation trac... | 11/29/2011 |
| 7916045 | Scale for photoelectric encoder A scale for a photoelectric encoder effectively protects the base of the scale from corrosion, rust, and flaws. The scale includes a base, a light-absorbing layer including a DLC layer formed on at least one surface of the base, and light-reflecting layers with a hi... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7705751 | Encoder An encoder includes an encoder scale having an optical pattern of a prescribed cycle, and an encoder head configured to be displaced relative to the encoder scale. The encoder head includes a reference voltage generating circuit and a changing unit. The reference vo... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7679533 | Photodiode array for an optical encoder, photodiode detection system, and optical encoder A photodiode detector array for an optical encoder includes a sequence of photodiodes having a pitch between adjacent photodiodes that alternates between a first pitch and a second pitch, the second pitch being different than the first pitch. ... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7646314 | Encoder for shaft device comprising one such encoder and production method thereof The invention relates to displacement encoder for a movable shaft, comprising a sleeve (2) which is intended to be fixed in rotation to the shaft (3) and an encoding element (4) which is made from magnetizable polymer and which is solidly connec... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7508323 | Rotation-angle detecting apparatus A rotation-angle detecting apparatus detects a rotation angle of a rotating disc having radial markings, includes a plurality of detectors arranged at opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the disc and facing the markings, each of the detectors operable to detec... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7495583 | Flat-top reflection-based optical encoders A reflection-based optical encoding apparatus for the detection of position and/or motion of a mechanical device includes an encoding medium having at least a first reflective portion, and an encoder housing having a light-emitting source and a light-detecting senso... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7439489 | Photoelectric encoder and electronic equipment using the same In the photoelectric encoder of the invention, as a light passing zone PZ of a movable object 21 travels by one pitch P, an output signal OUT2 of a second logical operation unit 26b comes to be delayed in phase by 45° with respect to an ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7427932 | Compressive sampling and signal inference An optical signal is copressively sampled using an imaging system. The imaging system is created from a plurality of subimaging systems. Each subimaging system comprises a subaperture and a plurality of sensors. The optical signal is collected at each subaperture of... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7425697 | Origin detection method for optical encoder An optical encoder equipped with an origin detection apparatus has a scale provided with an optical grating, a plurality of light receiving elements that is provided in association with the pitch of the optical grating and movable relative to the scale and a light s... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7417563 | Process to determine the absolute angular position of a motor vehicle steering wheel A method for determining the absolute value of a rotational angle includes imaging a continuous segment of a code track of a code carrier on a sensor array such that the sensor array generates a corresponding output signal. The code track includes a code provided ov... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7414238 | Optical encoder device for small-sized motor and method of producing the same An optical encoder device for a small-sized motor has a code wheel attached to a motor shaft which extends to the exterior of the motor through a bearing accommodated in a bearing-retaining section provided on an end bell of the motor, and a board on which a photose... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7412116 | Optical device for simultaneously generating and processing optical codes The invention relates to an optical device, apt to generate and process optical codes at least one wavelength, comprising P inputs s, with 1≦s≦P, and P≧1, and N outputs k, with 1≦k≦N and N≧1, characterized in that it is apt to simultaneously generate and... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7403143 | Optical quantizing unit and optical A/D converter An optical quantizing unit includes an optical divider dividing 1st optical pulses to be quantized and sending the divided 1st optical pulses into a plurality of paths; a plurality of optical filters passing with different transmittances the di... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7400269 | Coding element with integrated limit switch An optical encoder. The optical encoder includes a coding element, an emitter, and a detector. The coding element has a track with a track pattern. The track pattern includes a plurality of optically distinguishable sections. The plurality of optically distinguishab... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7397394 | Process to determine the absolute angular position of a motor vehicle steering wheel A method for determining the absolute value of a rotational angle includes imaging a continuous segment of a code track of a code carrier on a sensor array such that the sensor array generates a corresponding output signal. The code track has a light and dark transi... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7391012 | Apparatus for detecting rotational angle of rotational element and detecting method thereof An apparatus (100) for detecting rotational angle of a rotational element (110), includes a light emitting element (1) and an image detecting element (3). The light emitting element is disposed on the rotational element to emit light. The... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7369063 | Encoder signal processing circuit including a direction determining/counting unit An encoder signal processing circuit includes: a plurality of detectors adapted to generate signals with different phases; a switching circuit adapted to alternatively select and output a signal from the detectors; and a waveform shaping circuit adapted to shape wav... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7370114 | Software downloading using a television broadcast channel A software distribution architecture having a television broadcast system as its infrastructure. Software from a software repository (1600) is mixed into a television broadcast system and transmitted into one or more selected channels at prescribed dates and ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7362242 | Optical encoder device for small-sized motor and method of producing the same A photosensor module is composed of a light-receiving element module accommodating a light-receiving element, and a light-emitting element module accommodating a light-emitting element, which modules are separate, paired components. One of the paired light-receiving... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7357480 | System for independent translational motion on two axes using one motor A system for independent translational motion on two axes using one motor is described. In one configuration, a modified dual Scotch Yoke using slots resembling the letter J is utilized to drive both the maintenance station and ink jet head of a mailing machine.... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7358865 | Optical encoder and apparatus using optical encoder An optical encoder includes a cylindrical reflective scale, a point light source for irradiating the reflective scale, and light-receiving elements for receiving the light beams reflected by the reflective scale. The pitch of the reflective scale is set to an approp... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7353916 | Elevator supervision A method and system for supervising the safety of an elevator having a car driven by a drive within a hoistway wherein a travel parameter (XABS,X″Acc,X′IGB) of the car is sensed and continually compared with a similarly sensed tr... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7348543 | Optical encoder with hollow light guide for indicating the angular position of a rotary shaft An optical encoder assembly and a method for measuring a rotation angle in which optical beams are spread over the circumference of a rotating optical disk by means of optical guides (OG). In the preferred embodiment the rotating optical disk has a pair of concentri... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7348547 | Position detecting apparatus and image processing apparatus provided with the same There is provided a position detecting apparatus that has a high ability of detecting a correct position even if there is mechanical play in a moving mechanical member, a position of which is detected, and an image processing apparatus provided with the position det... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7348546 | Position measuring system with a scanning unit having a reference pulse signal detection unit A position measuring system having a scale that includes an incremental graduation track, which extends in a measuring direction, the incremental graduation track having a periodic arrangement of graduation areas with different optical properties and a reference mar... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7348545 | System and method for optical encoding on two opposed surfaces of a pattern medium An optical encoder system is disclosed with a single pattern medium having a first coded pattern disposed on the first side, a second coded pattern disposed on the second side, a first optical encoder disposed toward the first side, and a second optical encoder disp... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7345597 | Process to determine the absolute angular position of a motor vehicle steering wheel A method for determining absolute value of a rotational angle includes imaging a segment of a code track onto a sensor such that the sensor generates a corresponding output signal. The track includes a code in the form of a light and dark transition pattern over an ... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7340087 | Edge inspection A semiconductor inspection tool comprises an edge top camera for obtaining images of a top edge of a wafer, an edge normal camera for obtaining images of a normal edge of the wafer, and a controller for receiving the images of the top edge of the wafer and the image... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7329858 | Optical encoder and electronic equipment having same An optical encoder includes a mobile object having a plurality of aligned slits, a light-emitting portion for emitting light toward the mobile object, and a light-receiving portion 103 for receiving the light which has passed the mobile object. The light-rece... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7321941 | Network routing utilizing a product code A method for utilizing a product code having product information contained therein for interfacing over a network. The product information is extracted from the product code, which product code is disposed on or in close association with an associated product. In re... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7317415 | System, method, and product for scanning of biological materials employing dual analog integrators In one embodiment, a system is described for reducing a dark period between successive data acquisition periods associated with the detection of one or more target molecules hybridized to at least one of a plurality of probes disposed upon a biological probe array. ... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7305435 | Internet access via smartphone camera A mobile device, system, method, and software for communicating with the internet utilizing a written universal resource locator (URL). A camera unit is used to receive a raw visual light image containing a written URL, the raw visual light image is converted to an ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304295 | Method and system of detecting eccentricity and up/down movement of a code wheel of an optical encoder set A system and method of measuring a rotational motion of a code wheel measures a rotational movement of the code wheel including an error component due to a non-rotational movement of the code wheel; measures the non-rotational movement of the code wheel; and produce... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7289049 | Method and apparatus for compressed sensing Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for compressed sensing. The method generally comprises forming a first compressed sensing matrix utilizing a first set of time indices corresponding to a first sampling rate, forming a second compre... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287333 | Signal detecting device The present invention is a signal detecting device, which includes a casing, drive unit, feeding strip and transmitting strip. The signal detecting section of transmitting strip coincides with the movement path of the transmitting section of the conducting disc, and... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289042 | Reader for a scale marking The invention relates to a reference mark detector for use with a metrological scale or encoder (10) having a patterned reference mark rm movable relative to the reference mark detector. The detector may comprise a photodetector array (20) for detectin... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289088 | Electroluminescent display device An organic electroluminescent (EL) display device has a touch panel function and includes a display panel that has first and second light sources disposed along sides of the display portion and first and second light detecting portions disposed on sides of the displ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289932 | Angular position, speed and direction encoding of a rotating member A spatial detection apparatus comprising a rotating member having a predetermined number of teeth angularly spaced about its circumference at predetermined distances to form a bit pattern; at least one sensor capable of detecting a rising edge and a falling edge of ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287091 | Method and apparatus for opening and launching a web browser in response to an audible signal The present invention disclosed and claimed herein comprises a system and method for launching a web browser on a network comprising a computer having an all new input interface and a communication interface coupled to a computer network; said audio input coupled to... | 10/23/2007 |