Quotables
"That the automobile has practically reached the limit of its development is suggested by the fact that during the past year no improvements of a radical nature have been introduced."
Scientific American ; Jan. 2 edition, 1909
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 |
| 7743657 | Angular velocity sensor device An angular velocity sensor device includes a structure having an angular velocity detecting element and a vibration body formed thereon. The structure is mounted on the case and the angular velocity detecting element is isolated from external vibrations without the ... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7352192 | Method and relative test structure for measuring the coupling capacitance between two interconnect lines A method and a relative test structure for measuring the coupling capacitance between two interconnect lines exploits the so-called cross-talk effect and keeps an interconnect line at a constant reference voltage. This approach addresses the problem of short-circuit... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7349591 | Pressure compensated optical accelerometer, optical inclinometer and seismic sensor system An optical accelerometer includes means for changing the length of at least one optical fiber in response to acceleration functionally coupled to the at least one optical fiber. The fiber and the means for changing length are enclosed in a pressure compensated housi... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7347096 | Digital accelerometer A force-balance accelerometer having a pick-off coil responsive to displacement of a seismic mass from a balance position for providing an output corresponding to the displacement, includes a digital signal processor including tow pulse width modulation generators f... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7293459 | Image-based sensing of acceleration A system includes a support, a pendular element, an elastic restraint, an image sensor, and a processing system. The elastic restraint couples the pendular element to the support and applies to the pendular element a restraining force that opposes movement of the pe... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7252001 | Three axis active magnetic levitation for inertial sensing systems The invention relates to an inertial sensor based on the magnetic levitation of an inertial mass comprising an active magnetic bearing unit arranged in such a way as to levitate the inertial mass and characterized by the fact that it furthermore comprises additional... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7251521 | Motion sensing MRI local coil A motion sensing MRI coil allows correction of motion-induced image artifacts by the MRI machine or on a machine independent basis using correction circuitry associated with the coil. ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7232989 | Transverse optical accelerator and generalized optical vortices A method and system for generating modulated optical vortices. Optical vortices can be used for a variety of applications, such as applying controlled torque or controlled force patterns to objects from a few nanometers to hundreds of micrometers in size. Numerous o... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7155979 | Self-calibrating oversampling electromechanical modulator and self-calibration method An oversampling electromechanical modulator, including a micro-electromechanical sensor which has a first sensing capacitance and a second sensing capacitance and supplies an analog quantity correlated to the first sensing capacitance and to the second sensing capac... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7109473 | Transverse optical accelerator and generalized optical vortices A method and system for generating modulated optical vortices. Optical vortices can be used for a variety of applications, such as applying controlled torque or controlled force patterns to objects from a few nanometers to hundreds of micrometers in size. Numerous o... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7035698 | System for controlling medical imaging equipment motion A system including a user input device for controlling a position of medical equipment is described. In an example embodiment, the user input device is configured to be coupled to the medical equipment and is responsive to an operator input representation of a desir... | 04/25/2006 |
| 6933873 | PWM-based measurement interface for a micro-machined electrostatic actuator Methods and apparatus for varying and measuring the position of a micromachined electrostatic actuator using a pulse width modulated (PWM) pulse train are disclosed. One or more voltage pulses are applied to the actuator. In each of the pulses, a voltage changes fro... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6918299 | Method and apparatus for improving performance of a force balance accelerometer based on a single-coil velocity geophone The invention concerns methods and apparatus for improving the performance of a force-balance accelerometer based upon a conventional, single-coil, velocity geophone. Specifically, the operating temperature range is increased through the use of both a temperature-co... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6898970 | Inertial navigation device for ion propulsion driven spacecraft An extremely sensitive accelerometer suitable for use in extreme temperatures such as those encountered during space travel is formed by levitating a magnet in a box or sphere composed of diamagnetic material such as pyrolytic carbon, and a means for measuring the p... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6867411 | Optically rebalanced accelerometer An optical accelerometer for detecting an acceleration of a proof mass includes a source of optical radiation for generating a pair of beams of output radiation. The pair of beams of optical radiation exerts radiation pressure on the proof mass, so as to maintain th... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6832518 | Pressure wave sensor using levitated mass A mass is levitated with respect to a base, at least one of which is comprised of a diamagnetic material, with the levitated mass also having a permanent magnetic property. A second permanent magnet is optionally configured such that it attracts the levitation mass ... | 12/21/2004 |
| 6723979 | Roll arming sensor A roll arming sensor is provided for determining an arming signal for use on a vehicle for rollover detection. The roll arming sensor includes a light source for generating a light beam and a receiver for detecting the light beam. Disposed substantially horizontal b... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6664534 | Tilt sensing device and method for its operation A tilt sensing device and method for its operation, the device being of the type comprising a) a housing, b) a radiation transmitter and a radiation receiver arranged in or at the housing to form a beam path therebetween, c) a radiation obstructing or def... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6606908 | Inertial sensor for the mounting and checking of an inertial reference in a satellite An inertial sensor includes an inertial reference for determining the attitude and position of a satellite or satellite parts. A test mass is situated in a space which is essentially free of electric and magnetic fields and is enclosed by a housing, and o... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6583374 | Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) digital electrical isolator A microelectricalmechanical system (MEMS) digital isolator may be created in which an actuator such as an electrostatic motor drives a beam against a predefined force set, for example, by another electrostatic motor. When the threshold of the opposing for... | 06/24/2003 |
| 5936294 | Optical semiconductor component and method of fabrication An optical semiconductor component (10) includes a substrate (11) having a surface (12), a photodetector (13) supported by the substrate (11), and a seismic mass (21) overlying the surface (12) of the substrate (11) and overlying a portion of the photodet... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5902999 | Acceleration sensor The present invention encompasses an acceleration sensor which is capable of detecting the magnitude or the azimuth of acceleration. For this purpose, a ball 2 is set onto a bottom 1b of a tapered housing. A light emitter 3 is disposed thereunder and a li... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5789677 | Dual-axis force feedback accelerometer A force-feedback accelerometer to measure small accelerations along two or more co-planar axes. A fiber suspension of a proof mass provides mechanical sensitivity; a cylindrical cross-section on the proof mass, with orthogonal optical position sensing, re... | 08/04/1998 |
| 5747961 | Beat frequency motor position detection scheme for tuning fork gyroscope and other sensors A tuning fork gyroscope has an in-plane position sensitive pick-off to which an AC or AC+DC bias is applied. Intermodulation is exploited to produce beat-notes between the applied frequency and the motor frequency at amplitudes proportional to motor ampli... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5721378 | Servo acceleration sensor and a method for computing an acceleration of the vehicle along a slope A servo acceleration sensor comprises a pendulum assembly composed of a pendulum made up of a torque coil provided on one side of a metal plate, a free end section from which the pendulum is suspended, a base end section, and a pair of plate springs conne... | 02/24/1998 |
| 5456112 | High accuracy laser accelerometer A high accuracy laser accelerometer has a differential pathlength element having an outer annulus and a combined acceleration sensing proof mass with a laser mirror, a closed cavity including a cathode, anode and a movable pathlength control mirror, a len... | 10/10/1995 |
| 5276322 | Fiber optic accelerometer Light from a light source (10) is transmitted along an optical fiber (12) through a sensor (14) to opto-electronics (16). The sensor includes a cantilevered beam (20) that flexes in response to acceleration causing its free end (26) to move. Light from th... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5095750 | Accelerometer with pulse width modulation An accelerometer having a movable electrode which is moved according to acceleration with respect to a fixed electrode disposed in opposition to the movable electrode. An output device generates an output voltage which is proportional to the acceleration ... | 03/17/1992 |
| 5055759 | Servo accelerometer A servo accelerometer includes a pendulum, a coil, a detection unit, and a servo unit. The detection unit has a photopotentiometer for receiving light passing through a slit of the pendulum and outputting a detection output on the basis of a change in res... | 10/08/1991 |
| 5050435 | Position detection system for a suspended particle accelerometer An accelerometer having a charged particle electrostatically suspended between opposed field plates in a null position when the sum of the forces on the acelerometer equals zero, the accelerometer comprising LEDs projecting light beams for defining oppose... | 09/24/1991 |
| 4987780 | Integrated accelerometer assembly An assembly for use in a dry accelerometer. The assembly includes a flat ceramic base with an interior aperture, two metal hinges and a pendulous mass supported within the aperture by such hinges. A light emitting diode and photodetector are provided for ... | 01/29/1991 |
| 4918987 | Laser accelerometer A laser accelerometer comprises a frame having three orthogonal input axes and multiple proof masses, each proof mass having a predetermined blanking surface. A flexible beam supports each proof mass. The flexible beam permits movement of the proof mass o... | 04/24/1990 |
| 4869108 | Accelerometer system An accelerometer is provided with a pendulum having a coil, a support for the pendulum to swing in a magnetic field, and a control circuit electrically connected to the coil and responsive to detection of a swing motion of the pendulum for supplying a con... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4856333 | Servo type accelerometer A servo type accelerometer comprises a photoelectric element which is made of a single packaged element and has two separated photoelectric parts, a light-emitting element opposite to the photoelectric element, a pendulum having a member for limiting an o... | 08/15/1989 |
| 4788864 | Bleed path for electric charge An inertial sensing device with a movable sensing element is provided with a conductive path for bleeding excess electric charge from the sensing element. The path may extend from the sensing element to a control circuit or other predetermined portion of ... | 12/06/1988 |
| 4748848 | Accelerometer An accelerometer for measuring the acceleration of a body in the direction of a reference axis includes a support member, mountable on the body, and a magnet arrangement mounted on the support member which defines an air gap between pole surfaces extendin... | 06/07/1988 |
| 4686858 | Flight instrument using light interference for acceleration sensing Aircraft instrument for indicating accelerations of the aircraft movement based on the use of an optical laser interferometer. A mass is connected to one of several mirrors in the interferometer which causes the interference pattern to move up or down in ... | 08/18/1987 |
| 4649748 | Accelerometer An accelerometer is disclosed, which includes a flexible hinge, a base table fixed with one end of the flexible hinge, a pendulum fixed to the other end of said flexible hinge, torquers for producing a torque proportional to acceleration applied from the ... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4598586 | Compensation of gain temperature coefficient in an optical pick-off for an accelerometer Apparatus for compensating an optical sensor utilizing a light emitting diode and a monolithic dual element photodiode as a null position sensor for changes in optical output efficiency or gain due to variations in temperature without knowledge of relativ... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4555946 | Accelerometer An accelerometer has a tubular coil that surrounds coaxially a cylindrical magnet. The magnet is polarized along a second axis transversely of the common axis of the coil and magnet. A sleeve of soft-iron surrounds the magnet and coil to provide a magneti... | 12/03/1985 |
