Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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 |
| 7600409 | Failure diagnostic device for acceleration sensor, electronic device equipped with failure diagnostic device, failure diagnostic system, and failure diagnostic method A failure diagnostic device for diagnosing whether a failure has occurred in an acceleration sensor to be loaded in an electronic device such as a living body information measurement device of acquiring data concerning e.g. living body information includes: an accel... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7487661 | Sensor having free fall self-test capability and method therefor A transducer (20) includes a movable element (24), a self-test actuator (22), and a sensing element (56, 58). The sensing element (56, 58) detects movement of the movable element (24) from a first position (96) to a s... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7225662 | Geophone calibration technique Various techniques are described which may be used to facilitate and improve seismic exploration activities. For example, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a technique for enabling in-situ measurement of geophone response parameters. Another aspect ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7216541 | Capacitive sensor for dynamical quantity A capacitive sensor for measuring a dynamical quantity based on a change in capacitance has a semiconductor substrate having a weight supported by beams so as to undergo displacement according to the dynamical quantity. The semiconductor substrate is sandwiched betw... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7178377 | Inclination sensor An inclination sensor is provided with a main body fixed to a vehicle, a pendulum supported by the main body so as to swing in response to an inclination of the vehicle, and a magnetic sensor that senses the inclination of the pendulum in order to detect as to wheth... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7165440 | Frequency characteristics measuring method and device for acceleration sensor A metal rod guide (30) supports a metal rod (1) that can be inclined at an arbitrary angle, the support is instantaneously released to produce a free fall state, and during the release period, a first end surface (2) of the metal rod is impacted... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7146846 | Non-destructive testing of in-service wooden beams Wooden utility pole structures are nondestructively tested while in service, in particular utility pole cross-arms. A helicopter or boom truck brings an operator to the cross-arm. Manually striking the cross-arm using a hammer or other weight with an attached accele... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7137645 | Control device for a restraining system in a motor vehicle A control device for a restraining system in a motor vehicle is proposed, a safety switch, which also includes a watchdog, performing the function of a safety switch in the control device. The safety switch monitors sensor signals which are transmitted to the proces... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7089789 | System for calibrating an integrated injection nozzle and injection pump A fuel injection system (18) is calibrated as an assembled system. The fuel injection system (18) includes a unit pump (10) a cam follower (24), a joined fuel injection line (14) and injection nozzle (16). The fuel injection... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7076991 | Calibration evaluation method and device for acceleration sensor An acceleration sensor (22) to be calibrated and evaluated is affixed to one end surface (22) of a metal rod (1), and a plurality of projectiles (3) are made to impact the other end surface (2) of the metal rod at prescribed time i... | 07/18/2006 |
| 6993977 | Remote structural material evaluation apparatus A method of unobtrusive evaluation of structural material integrity without requiring physical contact for referencing integrity values, comprising: directing an impact source at said structural material; obtaining signal information from the structural material by ... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6907373 | Method for calibrating a sensor and switching arrangement for operating a sensor A method for calibration of a sensor 1 is characterized in that the sensor 1 is arranged in a predetermined position, an equalizing unit 6 is connected to the sensor 1, data necessary for calibration are determined, and the determined cal... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6791931 | Accelerometer using field emitter technology An accelerometer includes a field emitter to generate an electron beam current and a medium. An effect is generated when the electron beam current bombards the medium. The magnitude of the effect is affected by a physical impact imparting an amount of energy to the ... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6670888 | Method of detecting improper mounting of acceleration sensors on a vehicle A method of detecting the improper mounting of a sensor on a motor vehicle includes monitoring the output signals of the sensor, determining the noise levels in the output signals, and comparing the noise levels from the output signals to a threshold nois... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6282941 | Impact detection device, in particular for a motor vehicle An impact detection device, in particular for a motor vehicle, includes at least one micromechanical acceleration switch having a contact element to be moved as a function of acceleration and a counter-contact element. A first voltage is fed to terminals ... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6256601 | Rollover test sled An apparatus (20) to simulate the behavior of vehicle occupant and safety systems in a rollover accident, comprising: a frame (30) adapted to receive a portion of a vehicle to be tested or test buck (40), the frame being articulated, about a pivot (36), t... | 07/03/2001 |
| 6169479 | Vehicular deformation sensor system A sensor system for detecting impacts to a vehicle, allowing for actuation decisions of passive restraint devices. The sensor system includes one or more piezoelectric sensor assemblies (42), each including a coaxial piezoelectric cable (44) contained wit... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6089092 | Vibration sensor A single vibration sensor producing multistage outputs corresponding to various vibrational acceleration values is disclosed. This vibration sensor is the type in which vibrational acceleration causes a movable gravitation element to move, and the movemen... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6055841 | Device for calibrating longitudinal acceleration sensor of vehicle through inertial running A device for calibrating a neutral point of a longitudinal acceleration sensor of a vehicle, having a detector for detecting that the vehicle is running at a speed higher than a predetermined threshold speed, a detector for detecting that the vehicle is n... | 05/02/2000 |
| 5970779 | System and method for calibrating accelerometer over low (ocean wave) frequencies An accelerometer calibration system calibrates an accelerometer for use in, for example, an ocean wave environment in which the accelerometer will ergo generally oscillatory acceleration. The accelerometer calibration system includes an simple harmonic ... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5927143 | Self-diagnostic accelerometer with symmetric proof-mass and its preparation method A symmetrical proof-mass accelerometer with a self-diagnosis capability and its fabrication method are disclosed. The accelerometer has symmetrical mass distribution with respect to the plane of the cantilever beam with an offset between upper and lower m... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5900529 | Apparatus and method for testing an acceleration sensor An apparatus (10) and an associated method for testing an acceleration sensor assembly (14), which is preferably an accelerometer assembly. An electrical exciter (34) is operated in response to an excitation signal (32) from a signal generator (30). The e... | 05/04/1999 |
| 5760290 | Semiconductor acceleration sensor and testing method thereof A semiconductor acceleration sensor has a silicon detecting body and a glass substrate. The silicon detecting body has a weight, a supporting frame, and beams for coupling the weight to the supporting frame, which are integrally processed from a silicon w... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5737961 | Method and apparatus for detecting operational failure of a digital accelerometer An apparatus includes an accelerometer (24) for providing an analog acceleration signal indicative of crash acceleration. A sigma-delta A/D converter (26) is operatively connected to the accelerometer (24) for providing a pulse-width-modulated gate enable... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5677475 | Acceleration sensor impact test method and apparatus An impact test apparatus for testing the impact resistance of an acceleration sensor having a cantilevered sensor tip containing a diaphragm comprises a rod-like push needle for depressing a free end of the cantilevered sensor tip, a DC motor for driving ... | 10/14/1997 |
| 5644067 | Apparatus and method for calibration of sensing transducers Reciprocity calibration of electromechanical transducers is carried out with three transducers, which are secured to a mass mounted for oscillation as a pendulum. A first transducer is driven and the electrical output of a second transducer is measured. A... | 07/01/1997 |
| 5612670 | Dual sensitivity shock detector An aftermarket mechanical shock detector for mounting to protected property containing an existing alarm system. The shock detector incorporates a piezoelectric transducer detecting mechanical vibration and generating an electrical vibration signal, and c... | 03/18/1997 |
| 5433101 | Method and apparatus for self-testing a single-point automotive impact sensing system A method and apparatus for detecting faults in a single-point impact sensing system having electrically conductive self-test plates within the sensor to electrostatically deflect the sense element during self-test sequence. The deflection of the sense ele... | 07/18/1995 |
| 5375468 | Acceleration sensor unit having self-checking function This invention relates to an acceleration sensor system having a self-checking operation of an air bag safety system while a vehicle is being driven. An acceleration sensor element suitable for self-checking while a vehicle is driven is obtained by a plan... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5373722 | Apparatus for performance testing acceleration sensors Acceleration sensors in a vehicular safety system with at least two acceleration sensors are stimulated by an electrical or sound excitation so that one of the sensors functions as a body sound transmitter, while the other(s) receive(s) these signals and ... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5355716 | Generalized rotary shock and impact testing machine This invention relates to a shock and impact testing apparatus for subjecting items under test, such as a motor vehicle crash sensor, to an acceleration pulse of a prescribed amplitude and shape, such as a half sine or haversine. The apparatus includes a ... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5351519 | Circuit arrangement for evaluating and testing a capacitive sensor A circuit for evaluating the output of, and for testing, a capacitive sensor, such as those useful for triggering airbags, features two switches (6, 7) for selecting among a test mode and a measurement mode. In the measurement mode, two measuring capacita... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5337260 | Method for calibrating a single point impact sensor A method for calibrating an impact sensor enables calibration to take place after sensor manufacture is completed. During calibration, the sensor undergoes an acceleration while vehicle specific calibration values are programmed into sensor memory for dif... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5222387 | Acceleration sensor with variable acceleration detection sensitivity A sensor for outputting a signal in response to swinging of a pendulum when acceleration acts upon the sensor is provided with a tilting mechanism for tilting the frame of the sensor with respect to a support therefor, and a control for actuating the tilt... | 06/29/1993 |
| 5203199 | Controlled acceleration platform A controlled acceleration platform which provides a horizontally quiet platform capable of accurate acceleration and angular control. An object at or near the center of percussion of the pendulum assembly experiences reduced seismic and cultural ground vi... | 04/20/1993 |
| 5140844 | Air bag sensor thruster fixture A testing fixture for use on a thruster machine for the purposes of testing ball and tube supplemental inflatable sensors for use in air bag applications for motor vehicles. The fixture is fabricated from light weight materials and has clamp 30 fabricated... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5000030 | Method and apparatus for measuring dynamic response characteristics of shock accelerometer A method for measuring the dynamic response characteristics of a shock accelerometer comprises the steps of attaching an accelerometer to be tested and a strain gage to one end of a rod supported to be axially slidable, imparting an impact to the other en... | 03/19/1991 |
| 4967587 | Impact calibration tool A tool 10 for creating a standard repeatable impact on a nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) structure to determine the response of an accelerometer to the impact of a known energy at a predetermined location on the structure. The tool 10 includes a barrel... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4950915 | Impact sensor with a testing circuit for a vehicle An impact sensor (1) for a vehicle is connected to a testing circuit. The impact sensor includes an acceleration sensor (5), an evaluating circuit (6) and a trigger circuit (7) for a passive safety device. For simply testing the operability of the impact ... | 08/21/1990 |
| 4711754 | Method and apparatus for impacting a surface with a controlled impact energy A method and apparatus for impacting a surface with a desired kinetic impact energy wherein an impacting device which can apply a variable impact energy corresponding to the magnitude of an input control signal is provided and placed adjacent the surface ... | 12/08/1987 |
