Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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 |
| 8113432 | Apparatus for recognizing an optical recognition code in which a code symbol of a 1-dimensional color bit code indicative of certain data is divided into a plurality of code symbols It is possible to linearly arrange cells and indicate particular data in the order of colors of respective sells. A code system uses an optical symbol decoding method capable of reading the color arrangement if the arrangement continuity and the linear shape are mai... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8079525 | System and method for decoding barcodes captured with a color image sensor A computing device and method for reading a barcode captured with a color image sensor is disclosed. The barcode can have features and background that have equal brightness such that the barcode could not be decoded with known greyscale decoding techniques. The meth... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8025235 | Progressively degrading synthetic markers There is described a synthetic marker encoding data, the synthetic marker comprising an information payload represented by bits encoded along a spectrum, each of the bits having a priority level assigned thereto ranging from high to low, bits having lower priority l... | 09/27/2011 |
| 7428994 | Toy adapting to color of surroundings A toy or game piece for producing color includes a housing formed in the shape of a toy; a color reader to read a sample and generate data; a processing device to process the generated data and determine a color of the sample based on the generated data; and a light... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7349555 | Documents and apparatus to encode documents The present invention relates generally to documents, e.g., such as legal tender, currency and identification documents, and apparatus for encoding documents. One claim recites: a physical document including a machine-detectable hidden signal. Presence of the hidden... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7347376 | Apparatus and method for verifying print quality of an encoded indicium The invention is an apparatus configured to provide self-alignment in use when measuring the print quality of an encoded indicium. The apparatus is configured to exclude ambient light, and to align an encoded indicium located at a first aperture defined in a first s... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7331523 | Adaptive optical image reader There is described in one embodiment a method for use by an apparatus that can acquire an image. According to a described method, parameters for utilization by the apparatus are provided. According to a described method, a method can include acquiring an image and c... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7330563 | Documents, articles and authentication of documents and articles The present invention relates generally to physical articles, e.g., such as documents, and authenticating physical articles. One claim recites a method of determining authenticity of an analog form (e.g., a printed document such as legal tender, currency or identifi... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7317589 | Magnetic recorder A magnetic recorder for performing at least one of magnetic recording and magnetic reproduction on a running magnetic tape, comprising: a magnetic head mounted so as to slidably abut on the magnetic tape; a subject portion made of the same material as that of the ma... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7305117 | Methods and tangible objects employing machine readable data The present invention relates generally to steganography. In one implementation we provide a method comprising: receiving optical scan data representing at least a portion of a physical object. The physical object includes information steganographically hidden there... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7293712 | System and method to automatically discriminate between a signature and a dataform There is described a system and method for automatically discriminating between different types of data with an image reader. In brief overview of one embodiment, the automatic discrimination feature of the present image reader allows a human operator to aim a hand-... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7287697 | Optical reader having a color imager The present invention relates to an optical reader that includes a color imaging assembly that generates color imaging data. There is described an optical reader that can associate an acquired color image with additional data. ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7262792 | System and methodology for tracking objects using visually sensible indicators A system for tracking objects including visually sensible indicators on objects being tracked, at least one imager capturing images of the objects being tracked which images also show the visually sensible indicators and at least one image processor receiving output... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7262764 | Universal computing device for surface applications A universal input device for use with a surface, such as a whiteboard, is provided. The universal input device can be used to control various computing devices as well as capture handwritten electronic ink and have the electronic ink be associated with new or stored... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7263203 | Digital watermarks An iterative encoding technique assesses trial watermark encoding of an object, and redresses any detected shortcomings in one or more successive re-encodings of the object. Other improvements concern web crawler-based watermark detectors, novel uses of meta-data in... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7245740 | Electronic watermark embedding device, electronic watermark detection device, electronic watermark embedding method, and electronic watermark detection method To provide an electronic watermark embedding device for improving accuracy when classified information is being detected. The watermark image forming section 1006 creates a watermark image based on classified information 1004 with reference to the docu... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7225991 | Three dimensional data storage An identification document is provided comprising a printable layer, a computer readable data storage element, and a computer readable calibration element. The computer readable data storage element is formed on the printable layer and comprises a plurality of pixel... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7227640 | Photoelectric sensor A photoelectric sensor includes a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and detects a mark on an object. Prior to the detection of the mark, a reference received light quantity level is sampled for the surface of an object not including the mark, for ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7225738 | Eye marks in image processing Systems, methods, and devices for eye marks in image processing are provided. A method includes providing an eye mark having at least two sections arranged along a longitudinal axis, wherein each section includes a border common to both sections and a unique charact... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7218753 | Template for watermark decoder synchronization Systems and methods are provided through which a template in the spatial domain is generated and combined with an image. Later, the combined image can be decoded to determine the extent of scaling and or shifting or the combined image. The template comprises at leas... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7215792 | Systems for spectral multiplexing of source images to provide a composite image with gray component replacement, for rendering the composite image, and for spectral demultiplexing of the composite image Methods and apparatus for spectrally-encoding plural source images and for providing the spectrally-encoded plural source images in a composite image, for rendering the composite image in a physical form, or for recovering at least one of the encoded source images f... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7210631 | Color bar code system A color bar code system includes a camera reader to read at least one color bar code having a subset of N bar code colors, a color association unit and an identifier. The color association unit associates each point in a color space with one of the bar code colors. ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7210583 | Card reading systems and methods A card reader includes a receiving arrangement configured to sequentially receive cards from an upstream process and position the cards to be read. It also includes a first reader configured to read card information from cards a first time and a second reader config... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7188774 | Method and apparatus for making articles Method and apparatus for applying unique composite indicia or markings to a succession of articles, in which each unique composite indicium comprises two or more indicia. At least part of each of the indicia may be co-located at a predetermined location on the artic... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7185824 | System and method for associating pre-printed machine-readable graphical codes with electronically-accessible data A method is disclosed for associating pre-printed machine-readable graphical codes with electronically-accessible data. An arbitrary sequence of reference identifiers is generated. Machine-readable graphical codes for the reference identifiers are generated. Labels ... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7185816 | Bar code and method of forming a bar code having color for encoding supplemental information A barcode symbol having an encoded symbology is provided with color or shades of gray to add additional information at the time of printing. The color or shades of gray provides the current barcode symbology with a third dimension of information. The color or shades... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7177954 | Interface system using hotspots A system and method for providing interaction between a user and a computer system is disclosed. A computer system has a sensor configured to read and interpret a content hotspot and to read and interpret a context hotspot, and a processor configured to perform an o... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7175094 | Mobile terminal with handle that houses a stylus The disclosure relates to systems and methods for housing a stylus as part of a handle of a mobile terminal to increase utility. By designing a cavity within the handle of a mobile terminal, a compartment is obtained which in turn can be exploited for housing a styl... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7171019 | Image processing apparatus and image processing method An image processing apparatus for embedding predetermined information in an image includes an input unit for inputting the image, a division unit for dividing the input image into plural image regions, a periodicity generation unit for generating plural different pe... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7156307 | Color code for device configuration A method is disclosed that scans a colored code using a scanner disposed internal a device. As setting of the device is then adjusted based on a color of the colored code. ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7158654 | Image processor and image processing method A pattern signal is steganographically encoded in a content object to aid in identifying distortion (e.g., image rotation) to which the object may be subjected. The signal may include a feature that can be used to unambiguously identify correct orientation. ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7152021 | Computing distortion of media signals embedded data with repetitive structure and log-polar mapping A digital watermark detection method uses a matched filtering technique on a log polar re-mapping of a watermarked signal to detect peaks associated with a repetitive structure of a watermark. ... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7124957 | Apparatus for reading a color symbol The present invention provides an apparatus for reading a color symbol, which comprises a matrix of color filters arranged in front of a detector. Light received from the filters of some colors is used to locate the color symbol, while light received from all the fi... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7118026 | Apparatus, method, and system for positively identifying an item A system, such as a checkout station, for positively identifying items includes a reader that reads coded information affixed to an item. The system further includes a capture module, such as a camera. The capture module captures a visual characteristic of the item ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7113613 | Watermark information detection method A digital watermark information detection method for detecting information inserted as a digital watermark from contents has a step of converting the contents into a predetermined specified format and a step of trying to detect information from the converted content... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7090129 | Code reader and card type recording medium A code reader has a predetermined guide groove and is configured to optically read an optically readable code from a predetermined side of a card type recording medium in which data is recorded as the optically readable code along the side, when the card type record... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7088859 | Apparatus for processing machine-readable code printed on print medium together with human-readable information An information processing system which processes machine-readable code information which is printed, together with human-readable information, on a print medium. The apparatus includes a reading unit which reads the machine-readable code information, a decoding unit... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7085399 | Watermark information embedding device and watermark information detection device There are provided a watermark information embedding device and a watermark information detection device which can correctly extract classified information. In the watermark information embedding device, a plurality of dot patterns the wave directions and/or wavelen... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7077325 | Portable instrument for electro-optically reading indicia and for projecting a bit-mapped image A portable instrument incorporates an electro-optical assembly for reading indicia during a reading mode, and for projecting a bit-mapped image during a display mode. A manually operable switch on the instrument is disposed for selecting one of the modes. The image ... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7072487 | Watermark detection using adaptive color projections Matching the color axis of the watermark detector to the color direction used by the watermark embedder: A preferred projection axis is determined for each pixel. The preferred projection axis for each pixel is determined by examining the color values of the surroun... | 07/04/2006 |
