Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7428472 | Monitoring activity of a user in locomotion on foot A device supported by a user while the user is in locomotion on foot during an outing may monitor a performance parameter of the user. The performance parameter may comprise a pace and/or a speed of the user. Prior to the outing, the device may be configured to spec... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7418866 | Method and apparatus for evaluation of standing timber A method and apparatus for measuring the quality of live, standing timber employs deep-set spike probes angled to create a longitudinal compression wave. Alignment tools and isolation of the probes provide an improved signal, automated detection of probe separation ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7418865 | Method and apparatus for ultrasound velocity measurements in drilling fluids The disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for determining the velocity of an ultrasound pulse in drilling fluids in downhole environments. A method for determining a velocity of ultrasound propagation in a drilling fluid in a downhole environment includes emit... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7415881 | Ultrasonic sensor system for web-guiding apparatus A sensor system for determining the position of at least one edge of at least one web material traveling along a predetermined path. In one embodiment, the sensor system has at least one transmitter block having a plurality of transmitters capable of selectively tra... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7415880 | Method for determining the sound velocity in a basic material, particularly for measuring the thickness of a wall Disclosed is a method for determining the sound velocity (Cb) in a basic material, in which an ultrasonic probe having a transmitting probe, a receiver transducer, and a forward member is used. The forward member is provided with a coupling surface that couples the ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7406872 | Sensor attachment structure and ultrasonic sensing device A sensor attachment structure includes a sound receiving member for receiving an ultrasound, an ultrasonic sensor attached to the sound receiving member. The ultrasonic sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces opposite to each other... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7395711 | System and technique for characterizing fluids using ultrasonic diffraction grating spectroscopy A system for determining property of multiphase fluids based on ultrasonic diffraction grating spectroscopy includes a diffraction grating on a solid in contact with the fluid. An interrogation device delivers ultrasound through the solid and a captures a reflection... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7395712 | Testing of bottomhole samplers using acoustics A method and apparatus for testing a hydrocarbon sample. The apparatus includes a sheath disposed about the hydrocarbon sample container and at least one set of acoustic sensors, wherein the at least one set of acoustic sensors is secured to the sheath, and further ... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7389693 | Methods and apparatus for porosity measurement A method for non-destructively inspecting a composite structure with a single ultrasonic transducer includes determining a calibration amplitude of ultrasonic transmissions emitted by the single ultrasonic transducer to a reflector in a fluid-filled immersion tank a... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7391676 | Ultrasonic distance sensors A lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system, a support constructed to support a patterning device, and a projection system. In pixel grid imaging, a large number of small optical spots are imaged onto the substrate surface using a micro-lens array (MLA... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7383730 | Methods for determining velocity of a stress wave within a material and homogeneity of properties within the material Methods for evaluating properties of a material are provided. In a first method, the velocity of a stress or sound wave is calculated by measuring the time of flight of the stress/sound wave induced into the material. The resonance of the material is also measured a... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7373822 | Method for evaluating a weld joint formed during a welding process A method for evaluating, during a welding process, a welded joint as it is forming between at least two parts of a joint using at least one ultrasonic transmitter sound penetrating the region of the forming welded joint with ultrasonic waves and at least one ultraso... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7373808 | Method and ultrasonic meter system for determining pipe roughness A method and ultrasonic meter system for determining pipe roughness. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are ultrasonic meters comprising a spool piece that couples within a flow of fluids, and a first transducer pair mechanically mounted to the spool piec... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7370534 | Multiangle ultrasound imager Systems and methods to obtain an ultrasonic image of a large detection area are disclosed. A system includes a source of ultrasound generating ultrasonic energy and projecting the ultrasonic energy from a projecting end and an adapter interfaced to the projecting en... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7373260 | Sensor infrastructure A device for use in detecting an event in a structure includes a sensor encapsulation, the encapsulation containing a sensor, an actuator positioned substantially in-plane to the sensor within the housing and a printed circuit board in communication with at least on... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7367944 | Method and system for monitoring ablation of tissues A method of monitoring heat damage to a tissue during a heat ablation procedure is disclosed. The method comprising: providing images of the tissue, extracting at least one parameter being indicative of a biological response to heat, and using the parameter(s) for d... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7363817 | System and technique for detecting the presence of foreign material Systems and techniques for detecting the presence of foreign material in food utilizing optical backlighting and/or ultrasonic inspection are presented. In optical backlighting, a substantially monochromatic light source optically backlights a food stream with sourc... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7362226 | Control system, surface, and control device The present invention provides a control system including: plural wireless measuring units, each of which, when receiving a radio signal, uses the signal as an energy source to measure a physical quantity, and generates and sends a radio signal having an attribute r... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7359803 | Apparatus and method for measuring parameters of a mixture having solid particles suspended in a fluid flowing in a pipe An apparatus 10,70 and method is provided that includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors 15-18 placed at predetermined axial locations X1-XN disposed axially along a pipe 14 for measuring at least one par... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7357027 | Ultrasonic sensor system for web-guiding apparatus A sensor system for determining the position of at least one edge of at least one web material traveling along a predetermined path. In one embodiment, the sensor system has at least one transmitter block having a plurality of transmitters capable of selectively tra... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7357826 | Method and apparatus to monitor/detect nodularization in ductile iron The present invention is direct to a method/apparatus for verifying a nodularization process in a molten iron disposed within a ladle. The method includes the steps of: transferring the ladle with the molten iron to a nodularization area; adding an amount of magnesi... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7353708 | Ultrasonic generator system The system controls the frequency of an ultrasonic signal to be applied to a waveguide, such that the frequency corresponds to a preferred resonance mode of the waveguide and not to adjacent undesirable resonance modes. The system operates by carrying out a first sc... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7353695 | Methods and apparatus for determining properties of a fluid A method and system for determining properties of a fluid involves interacting the fluid with a standing wave in a first state to establish the standing wave in a second state, analyzing an electric signal associated with the standing wave to determine a characteris... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7347974 | Materials, method and apparatus for detection and monitoring of chemical species A method for investigating a target environment to determine whether or in what amount a chemical species may be present therein, which comprises: (a) exposing to said environment an article of manufacture comprising a multiplicity of particles in close-packed orien... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7349091 | Optical object discriminating device The optical object discriminating device includes a light projecting part which applies light, which is emitted from a semiconductor light emitting element, to a measuring object which is an object to be measured, and a light receiving part which receives reflected ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7347101 | Measuring strain in a structure using a sensor having an electromagnetic resonator The system (10) comprises a sensor (18) 90×90×90×30 mm as an electromagnetic microwave cavity (20) with a coupler (22) with a wire (40) and an antenna (42). Cavity (20) produces a response signal (26) in res... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7340958 | Methods for determining potential characteristics of a specimen based on stress wave velocity measurements Methods are provided for using stress wave velocity measurements taken of a specimen at an early age to determine potential characteristics at a later age. The data may be used to, for example, evaluate specimens and/or families and/or clones at early ages to cut co... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7342665 | System and method for control of paint thickness The invention is directed to a system and method for implementing process control for paint thickness using sonic NDE techniques. The system may, for example, generate ultrasound waves in a test object during the manufacturing process. A detector such as an interfer... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7334479 | Systems and methods for non-contact measuring sputtering target thickness ultrasonics A method and apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the thickness of sputter targets of varying shapes. An immersion bubble (32) and transducer (36) provide pulses to a front surface (24) and a front surface/bonded surface (26) interface ... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7334452 | Method for characterizing materials by using a mechanical resonator Methods for monitoring a fluid composition include placing a mechanical resonator in the fluid composition and oscillating the resonator. The resonator can be a tuning fork resonator having tines oscillated in opposite directions and in opposite phases. A variable f... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331233 | Method and apparatus for ultrasonic sizing of particles in suspensions A particle size distribution monitor, comprising: a transducer adapted to be a source of ultrasonic energy and positioned in contact with a suspension containing a percent by volume of particles in a liquid, the transducer transmitting ultrasonic energy through the ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7328620 | Methods and system for ultrasound inspection An ultrasound inspection system is provided. The ultrasound inspection system includes a pulse echo transducer and a processor that is operationally coupled to the transducer. The system facilitates reducing noise in an echo received from a near surface inspection a... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7328618 | Non-destructive testing of pipes To perform a non-destructive condition assessment of a pipe carrying a fluid, an actual value representative of the propagation velocity of an acoustic disturbance propagating between two longitudinally separated points on the pipe is determined. A corresponding pre... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7322245 | Apparatus and method for measuring a fluid flowing in a pipe using acoustic pressures In industrial sensing applications at least one parameter of at least one fluid in a pipe 12 is measured using a spatial array of acoustic pressure sensors 14,16,18 placed at predetermined axial locations x1, x2, x3 along the pipe ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7324007 | Instrumented rock bolt, data logger and user interface system A rock bolt includes a hollow body and a gap along a length of the hollow body. At least one strain gauge is affixed to an inner surface of the rock bolt and is accessible from the gap. The rock bolt may include a data logger within the hollow body and coupled to re... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7324904 | Methods for determining dimensional stability of wood products utilizing single and multiple sensor groups Systems and methods are provided for detecting the potential of a wood sample, such as a board, to stay on grade, i.e., resist warp, after it is put into service and/or its moisture has re-equilibrated with the surrounding environment. The systems and methods includ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7318350 | Valve monitoring system and method A valve monitoring system includes an alert generation system and a memory. The memory encodes baseline acoustic emission data on the valve for a predetermined period of operation. The alert generation system is arranged to receive acoustic emission data for the val... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7310072 | Portable communication display device A head-mounted display system displays information via a matrix display element mounted within a housing that is positioned relative to at least eye of a user. The display is connected to a video or information source such that the user can view information or image... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7305883 | Chemical micromachined microsensors The present invention provides sensors based on micromachined ultrasonic transducer technology. The sensors preferably include a plurality of sensor elements, but may include only one sensor element. Arrays of sensors are also provided. Sensor elements include a fun... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7305886 | Noise detecting apparatus An accurate measure of normally operating noise is required for a useful noise measurement system. A device is needed to make a representative measure of the boat's acoustic power using measured boat sound level with integrated corrections for sensed distance to the... | 12/11/2007 |
