Did You Know...
...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7433267 | Two wire resistive sensor A circuit with two terminals that receive an input current. The circuit includes a sensor, and a controller to generate a modulated signal. The circuit also includes a flyback circuit that receives the modulated signal. The flyback circuit generates a first output v... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7420877 | Method for processing an echo profile In a method for processing an echo profile generated by a pulse-echo ranging system, the echo profile is compared with a time-varying threshold function to identify valid echoes in those portions of the echo profile which exceed the TVT function. Based on the amplit... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7388810 | Ultrasonic distance measurement system A system for measuring distance in a gas or liquid operating medium has an even number of ultrasonic signal transmitters (12, 14), and a single ultrasonic signal receiver (16). The ultrasonic signal transmitters are adapted to transmit ultrasonic signa... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7369460 | Sonar scanner Detecting an object using sound waves includes outputting a sound wave from a transducer, receiving an echo after outputting the sound wave, obtaining a threshold value based on the echo and plural other echoes that are within a predetermined range of the echo, and ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7360417 | Fluid level detector A fluid detector for determining a presence of a fluid within a container includes a piezoelectric element that outputs a first ultrasonic signal in response to an input electrical signal and a lens with an upper portion and a lower portion. The piezoelectric elemen... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7325328 | Methods and apparatus to determine vessel draft and amount of cargo loaded in a vessel The present invention discloses the methods and apparatus to acquire, record, and analyze data to determine the draft of a water-borne vessel and/or the amount of cargo that has been loaded in a water-borne vessel. The apparatus includes a portable, handheld housing... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7277020 | Apparatus for indicating the state of a characteristic of a constituent in a container Apparatus for indicating the oil level in a central heating oil tank comprises a battery powered monitoring unit (1) for mounting on the oil tank which determines the oil level by an ultrasonic signal transmitter/receiver (18). A first microprocessor (... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7196971 | Method and apparatus for damping an ultrasonic transducer suitable for time of flight ranging and level measurement systems A method and apparatus for damping an ultrasonic transducer suitable for time of flight ranging and level measurement systems. The ultrasonic transducer comprises a damping component which absorbs vibrations in the transducer to reduce the ringing effect. The dampin... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7162922 | Non-invasive method for detecting and measuring filling material in vessels A non-invasive method for measuring the level of filling material in a vessel and for detecting the presence of the filling material in the vessel at a predetermined set point level is based on monitoring the oscillation of the vessel's outside wall that follows an ... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7073379 | Arrangement and procedure for the measuring of liquid level An arrangement for fill level measurement is provided, with which accurate fill level measurement on a continuing basis is possible, including a container (3) containing a fill substance (1) whose fill level is to be measured, a fill level measuring de... | 07/11/2006 |
| 6938475 | Device for establishing and/or monitoring a predetermined fill level in a container A device for establishing and/or monitoring a predetermined fill level in a container is provided, which also operates stably in liquids with surface waves, which includes: a mechanical oscillatory structure placed at the height of the predetermined fill level, an e... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6932097 | Acoustic control of the composition and/or volume of fluid in a reservoir The invention provides a device for controlling the composition and/or volume of a fluid within a reservoir. The device includes a reservoir adapted to contain at least one fluid, a means for monitoring a characteristic of the fluid contained in the reservoir, and a... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6911935 | Field interchangeable level measurement system A microwave-based level measurement system having a planar microwave antenna configuration. According to another aspect, the microwave-based level measurement devices are field interchangeable with ultrasonic based level measurement devices. ... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6865137 | Method for pulse offset calibration in time of flight ranging systems A pulse offset calibration method for a pulse-echo level measurement system. The pulse-echo level measurement system includes a transducer for transmitting calibration acoustic pulses and receiving echo pulses. A receiver converts the echo pulses into corresponding ... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6856576 | Method for determining echo distance using autocorrelation in time of flight ranging systems A method and system for echo processing a receive signal using autocorrelation. A receive signal is sampled, digitized and high-pass filtered. A correlation signal is created by adding the filtered signal to a copy of the filtered signal shifted by a time unit. A se... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6816436 | Method for echo processing in time-of-flight or level measurement systems A method for processing echoes in a time-of-flight ranging system or level measurement system. The method comprises an initial noise floor level and identifying potential echoes in an echo signal above the initial noise floor level and a noise signal below the initi... | 11/09/2004 |
| 6771560 | Method and apparatus for on-board calibration in pulse-echo acoustic ranging system A calibration module and methods for a time-of-flight ranging system. The calibration module may be built into the circuitry of the time-of-flight ranging system and allows various operating parameters to be measured and evaluated. The calibration modes include ampl... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6640628 | Level-measuring device This invention relates to a level-measuring device in which a signal generating device, a sampling device and a transmitting and/or receiving device are optimally connected to one another for various applications and signal shapes. The signal generating d... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6629457 | Device for measuring a fill level of a liquid in a container A device for measuring a fill level of liquid in a container includes a measuring tube arranged inside the container and an ultrasonic sensor arranged outside the container such that a portion of the wall of the container is arranged between the measuring... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6631097 | Sonic water level measuring method and system there for A sonic water level measuring method and system for mounting a wave-guide tube for measuring a water level in a reservoir, a river, etc. generating sonic pulses at the upper of the wave-guide tube, measuring transit times that it takes for the sonic pulse... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6621763 | Power saving technique for pulse-echo acoustic ranging systems A power saving system and method for the analog-to-digital converter stage in a time of flight ranging system. A receiving echo signal having an envelope is converted into a digital form suitable for further processing by sampling the received echo signal... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6606279 | Submergence detection for electro acoustic transducers A method of detecting actual or incipient submersion of an electroacoustic transducer (2) facing downwardly toward a surface of fluent material to be sensed in a pulse-echo acoustic ranging system, the transducer having a skirt (6) surrounding a downwardl... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6556511 | Method of locking onto and tracking a target A method of tracking an object comprising the steps of acquiring the position of at least one object; selecting the at least one object as a target; determining a sampling window which envelopes the target; obtaining an echo; repeating the foregoing step ... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6545946 | Method and apparatus for eliminating substantially false echoes produced by electrical noise induced into high gain receiver circuits For use with a high gain receiver circuit which receives echo pulses of frequencies within a predetermined bandwidth and at times within interpulse periods of a predetermined pulse repetition rate and amplifies the echo pulses for measurement purposes, th... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6538598 | Apparatus and method for liquid level measurement in a sounding tube A level sensing apparatus for attachment to a vessel to measure levels of contents in a tank of the vessel. The level sensing apparatus includes a housing, a transmitter disposed within and operatively connected to said housing, and an antenna operatively... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6504793 | Method and device for range measurement The present invention pertains to a method for range measurement by means of a signal transmitted in the direction of an object to be measured, wherein an echo signal, on which is superimposed a first reference pulse, is received by a receive device, wher... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6418080 | Underwater detection apparatus An underwater detection apparatus comprises a transducer, a transmitter capable of generating transmitting signals of a plurality of respective frequencies and for generating a transmitting signal, a broadband trap circuit for transferring the transmittin... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6345683 | System and method for an improved device for measuring water levels A method and apparatus for determining the surface level of a given body using acoustic ranging that incorporates processes natural to human beings to improve identification of the echo from the water surface when spurious echoes might otherwise overshado... | 02/12/2002 |
| 6337655 | Apparatus and method for liquid level measurement in a sounding tube A level sensing apparatus for attachment to a sounding tube in order to measure levels of contents in a tank. This level sensing apparatus includes a housing for enclosing the various components of the level sensing apparatus. The level sensing apparatus ... | 01/08/2002 |
| 6323441 | Ultrasonic distance measuring system for monitoring railroad car loads An ultrasonic distance measuring system for monitoring railroad car loads. The system includes an ultrasonic transducer, a pulse generation and detection circuit and a measurement circuit. The transducer produces a transmitted ultrasonic pulse beam to be ... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6298008 | Pulse-echo system for mediums having varying densities A method of measuring the position of a target feature in a pulse-echo ranging system including transmitting at least one pulse of high frequency energy from a transducer towards the target feature, receiving energy reflected back from the direction of th... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6292131 | Apparatus and method for liquid level measurement and content purity measurement in a sounding tube A level sensing apparatus for attachment to a sounding tube in order to measure levels of contents in a tank and for determining the purity of contents in a tank. This level sensing apparatus includes a housing for enclosing the various components of the ... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6263731 | Method and assembly for monitoring a predetermined level in a container An assembly for monitoring a predetermined level of a material in a container comprises two ultrasonic transducers mounted on the container in line with the level to be monitored, such that an interspace exists between the ultrasonic transducers into whic... | 07/24/2001 |
| 6249244 | Apparatus for the determination of the fill state of material in a container This invention relates to an apparatus for the determination of the fill state of solid or liquid material in a container with a signal-generating/transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a time-delay circuit which transforms the high-frequency signals into l... | 06/19/2001 |
| 6212943 | Method and apparatus for the sonic measurement of sludge and clarity conditions during the treatment on waste water A sludge blanket level is determined in a waste water treatment clarifier using sonic pulse reflections. Additionally, using similar techniques, the clarity of the waste water is determined. A sonic pulse is directed into the waste water. Echos are genera... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6169706 | Echo detection in pulse-echo ranging systems A method for processing an echo amplitude profile generated by an echo ranging system with reference to a temporal axis to identify return echoes comprised by the profile by identifying amplitude peaks in the profile above with respect to an amplitude axi... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6062070 | Method and apparatus for the sonic measurement of sludge and clarity conditions during the treatment of waste water A sludge blanket level is determined in a waste water treatment clarifier using sonic pulse reflections. Additionally, using similar techniques, the clarity of the waste water is determined. A sonic pulse is directed into the waste water. Echos are genera... | 05/16/2000 |
| 6053041 | Noninvasive method for determining the liquid level and density inside of a container Noninvasive method for determining the liquid level and density inside of a container having arbitrary dimension and shape. By generating a flexural acoustic wave in the container shell and measuring the phase difference of the detected flexural wave from... | 04/25/2000 |
| 6047598 | Arrangement for measuring the level of contents in a container A continuous measurement of the level of contents in a container is effected by a level measuring device functionong in accordance with the transit time principle by means of waves transmitted from a position located above the highest possible contents le... | 04/11/2000 |
| 6046960 | Apparatus and method for discriminating true and false ultrasonic echoes Apparatus for discriminating true echoes from false echoes in an ultrasonic liquid gauging system, comprising: means for producing electrical representations of an echo sequence received after an ultrasonic transmission, wherein the echo sequence contains... | 04/04/2000 |
