Did You Know...
...Daniel Webster invented a "bull plow" to pull out tree stumps. It didn't catch on because it was huge and required four oxen to pull it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8158922 | Method and apparatus for a light fixture having a security light and permanently mounted wall-washing LEDs A light fixture (200) comprises a mounting fixture (501) that is configured and arranged to facilitate mounting the light fixture to a mounting surface other than ground along with at least a first light socket (502) and a plurality of permanent... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8143567 | Ambient light control system An occupancy sensor is provided with a separable override unit which can selectively override the operation of the occupancy sensor at designated times and for selected time intervals. The occupancy sensor includes a light sensor for actuating the occupancy sensor a... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8106347 | Vehicle rearview mirror system A vehicular interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly, which includes an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light and a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light. A control is operable to establish a reflectance... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8106345 | Photo sensor and flat panel display using the same A photo sensor in a flat panel display includes a first transistor having first, second, and gate electrodes respectively coupled to first, second, and third nodes; a second transistor having first, second, and gate electrodes, respectively coupled to a fourth node,... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8076628 | Ambient light sensor with reduced sensitivity to noise from infrared sources Systems and methods are provided for detecting ambient light with reduced sensitivity to infrared sources. An electronic device may include an infrared sensor, an ambient light sensor, a decoder, and a processor. The infrared sensor may detect an intensity of infrar... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8003930 | Ambient light sensor In an ambient light sensor according to the present invention, a current amplification portion which amplifies a light current obtained by a light receiving portion to generate an output signal includes: a current amplification stage that has: a first current mirror... | 08/23/2011 |
| 7968835 | Electronic device having LED with variable brightness Various embodiments of a light on an electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the light couples to a sensor and has a brightness that varies when ambient light incident on the sensor varies. ... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7906756 | Vehicle rearview mirror system A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electrochromic transflective reflective element, an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light and a control circuit that is responsive to light detection by a... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7902491 | Device for regulating the backlighting of an LC display A device for controlling the luminosity of an illuminating device, in particular for LC-display units in household appliances, includes a sensor which is used to detect the presence of a user, and a luminosity sensor. An exchange between two different luminosity val... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7838811 | Ambient light sensor In an ambient light sensor according to the present invention, a current amplification portion which amplifies a light current obtained by a light receiving portion to generate an output signal includes: a current amplification stage that has: a first current mirror... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7800044 | High ambient motion environment detection eliminate accidental activation of a device A method and apparatus for determining when a device is placed in a high ambient motion environment (HAME). The method includes receiving sensor data, and based on the sensor data determining if the device has been placed in the HAME. When placement in the HAME is d... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7759626 | Sensor device for generating ambient light information A process circuit sets a plurality of light emitting elements in a state in which light is not emitted through a process circuit, and receives a signal S1 corresponding to received ambient light from each of a plurality of light receiving elements. The proces... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7759627 | Display device A display device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a display panel, a drive circuit that drives the display panel, an illuminating unit that illuminates the display panel, a photosensing section Ls having an ambient light photosensor Ts that sense... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7755021 | Non-toxic photo cells and photosensors including the same Photo control devices include a housing having a light transmissive portion. A photosensor is positioned in the housing to receive light passing through the light transmissive portion of the housing. A relay electrically coupled to the photosensor is responsive to a... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7755022 | System and method for attenuating the effect of ambient light on an optical sensor The present invention provides systems and methods for attenuating the effect of ambient light on optical sensors and for measuring and compensating quantitatively for the ambient light. ... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7750282 | Dual purpose ambient light sensor A dual purpose ambient light sensor. More particularly, an ambient light sensor may be provided on an electronic device to aid in controlling the brightness of the illuminators of the device. The ambient light sensor may be mounted in such a way as to detect ambient... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7728276 | Vehicle rearview mirror system A vehicle rearview mirror system includes a transflective reflective element, an ambient light sensor that senses ambient light and a glare light sensor that senses glare light. A control circuit establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element, and the con... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7714265 | Integrated proximity sensor and light sensor Apparatuses and methods to sense proximity and to detect light. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an emitter of electromagnetic radiation and a detector of electromagnetic radiation; the detector has a sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitt... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7683309 | Photosensor and method for fabricating the same A photosensor includes a metal conductive layer, an interface dielectric layer, a silicon-rich dielectric layer and a transparent conductive layer. The interface dielectric layer is formed on the metal conductive layer. The silicon-rich dielectric layer is formed on... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7679043 | Peripheral light sensor and liquid crystal display device using the same Disclosed are a peripheral light sensor and a liquid crystal display device using the same. The device includes: a peripheral light sensor including: one or more transistors each coupled between an output line and a ground power sources, and having a gate electrode ... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7622701 | Toolessly adjustable cupola and photocontrol receptacle assembly Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a cupola and photocontrol receptacle assembly that allows a user to adjust the direction of the cupola base and the photocontrol receptacle simultaneously without using tools. A fixture housing may have an opening... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7554073 | High linearity CMOS ambient light sensor A light sensor having first and second photodetectors and a current mirror is disclosed. The first photodetector receives a light signal and generates a light current proportional to the light intensity received by the first photodetector and a dark current that is ... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7541570 | Vehicle rearview mirror system A vehicle rearview mirror system includes a variable reflectance reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, and a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light. A control circuit is responsive to light detection b... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7495204 | Remote control receiver device and ambient light photosensor device incorporated into a single composite assembly An RC receiver device and an ambient light photosensor (ALPS) device are mounted on a single mounting device (e.g., circuit board or lead frame substrate) such that they are part of a single composite assembly. This reduces the amount of space that is consumed in el... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7462811 | Light detection circuit A circuit for detecting light comprising: a) a light-integrating photosensor circuit responsive to light for producing a variable voltage signal representing the accumulation of the light over time; and b) a measurement circuit for receiving a time measurement signa... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7453057 | Vehicle rearview mirror system having a variable reflectance control A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sen... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7408145 | Light sensing instrument with modulated polychromatic source An apparatus is described for assessing plant status using biophysical and biochemical properties of the plant remotely sensed by the invention thereby allowing selective monitoring, elimination or treatment of individual plants. In a preferred embodiment, a single ... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7405387 | System and method for attenuating the effect of ambient light on an optical sensor The present invention provides systems and methods for attenuating the effect of ambient light on optical sensors and for measuring and compensating quantitatively for the ambient light. ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7394541 | Ambient light analysis methods, imaging devices, and articles of manufacture Ambient light analysis methods, imaging devices, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, an ambient light analysis method includes emitting light using a source, first filtering the light of the source providing first filtered light, firs... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7367684 | Jewelry with battery powered illumination An article of illuminated jewelry includes at least one light source, preferably comprising an LED, a housing preferably in a circumferential shape, and having a hollow core for placing at least one wire for supplying power from a battery to the light source for ill... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7364329 | Adaptor with gimbal mounted sensor An adaptor (10) including a sensor (18), a gimbal housing (12) having a male connector (14) at one end and an female connector (16) at another end, wherein the male connector (14) is configured to connect with an electrical ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7351947 | System and method for ambient light sensor testing for an information handling system display An ambient light sensor testing module running on an information handling system verifies that an ambient light sensor managing brightness of an information handling system display is active and responding correctly. The testing module sets the display at first and ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7352972 | Method and apparatus for the zonal transmission of data using building lighting fixtures This invention relates to the zonal transmission of data by radio means and optionally by optical means through the modulation of light from common building light fixtures, including the light output of fluorescent, mercury vapor, and other arc or discharge lamps an... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7345270 | Photocontrol with radio-controlled timer and a decoder A photocontrol controls the activation of lighting based on ambient light and the time of day using a radio-controlled timer. Radio signals from a particular source of correct time, such as the National Institute for Science and Technology's WWVB radio broadcast, ca... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7342492 | Electrical appliance A device 15, 2 to 6 and 10 to 14 for controlling appliance functions and for communicating with a user need not stay switched on during the entire operating time. These mostly include optical indicating means 10 to 14 whose ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7338177 | Mirror reflective element for a vehicle An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a prismatic mirror element and a display element. The prismatic mirror element includes a wedge-shaped prism element having a front surface and a rear surface and a second element having a transflective ref... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7339471 | Nighttime-controlled lighting system A time-controlled security lighting system records the length of nighttime and is capable of automatically adjusting for seasonal nighttime hours. The time duration between the initial nighttime darkness and the light of dawn, as sensed from the prior day by a photo... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7335871 | Low power switching for antenna reconfiguration Methods and systems for low power switching are provided. In one embodiment, an optical switching system is provided. The system comprises at least one optically controlled switch adapted to maintain one of an open state and a closed state based on an associated lig... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7328931 | Vehicle sun visor apparatus A sun visor apparatus for vehicle including a wiper apparatus that wipes a wipe area defined on an outer surface of a windshield. A light receiving sensor is arranged in the vehicle compartment facing toward the wipe area. When the windshield is stained by mud or bi... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7328103 | Navigation system for a vehicle An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element. An information display is at the interior rearview mirror assembly and displays information for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. The inform... | 02/05/2008 |
