Did You Know...
...During the Civil War, the Confederacy established its own Patent Office which issued 266 patents, a third of which concerned implements of war.
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 |
| 7705288 | Optical reading device with light blocking gasket An optical reading device comprising a sensor array having pixels which are exposed to an image; an illumination generator for illuminating the image with light, the illumination generator being configured to have a front face; a housing for housing the sensor array... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7427745 | Optical shutter for miniature cameras The invention relates to a shutter for an optical imaging system, e.g. a digital camera. The shutter comprises an interface between a transparent body and a capillary space. Light rays introduced to the active area of the interface are reflected by total internal re... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7373036 | Switching device and method A rocker styled switch includes an arm member moveable into and out of a beam path transmitting light between an optical transmitter and an optical receiver for blocking and allowing light to reach the receiver for providing an actuating signal. An end of the arm me... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7356880 | Hinge structure of micromirror device A hinge structure includes a rotatable plate member, a frame member, a spring member that connects the rotatable plate member with the frame member at each of two opposite positions along a rotation axis. The spring member includes a first axial section, a second ax... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7347110 | Tactile sensing device and an apparatus using the same The present invention provides a tactile sensing device comprising a tactile sensing layer, a pressure adjusting unit, at least one pressure sensing unit and a control unit. The tactile sensing layer includes a plurality of elastic elements, each of which has an inn... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7342210 | Remote control for auto-darkening lens systems and method A wireless remote control is provided for an auto-darkening lens (ADL) system used in a welding helmet, respirator system or other device to control or to adjust settings of an ADL of a controllable light shutter. A display system facilitates providing information i... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7335843 | Computer keyboard backlighting Embodiments of a peripheral backlighting system for keyboards are shown and described, which include one or more light-emitting panels exterior to the keyswitches of the keyboard. The panels are preferably electroluminescent material or light-emitting chemical cells... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7319466 | Method and apparatus for generating and interfacing with a haptic virtual reality environment A method for generating a haptic interactive representation including the steps of defining a haptic interaction space and building a hierarchical construct, for use within the haptic interaction space, using a plurality of underlying constructs. In one embodiment t... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7313613 | System and method facilitating network diagnostics and self-healing A system and method facilitating network diagnostics and self-healing is provided. The invention includes a data stream monitor component adapted to selectively copy protocol specific subset(s) of raw network data and provide the subset(s) of data to a diagnostics e... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7283066 | Illuminated keyboard A keyboard is provided having illuminating keys. The keyboard includes a light channeling upper clamshell and preferably key members constructed at least partially of translucent material so that light produced from a light source is channeled upwardly to the upper ... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7274855 | Optical micro-actuator An optically driven actuator, such as a microactuator, is provided in which light is used to cause linear or angular mechanical or micromechanical motion. The actuator includes a solid light-absorbing and expanding member having an internal partially absorbing and p... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7271743 | Switch arrangement and a switch matrix structure for a keypad A switch arrangement comprises a photoconductor to be illuminated. The switch arrangement also comprises a conductor which is intended to further transmit light escaping from the photoconductor and directed to the conductor by a local contact, wherein the conductor ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7271381 | Device to detect individual moving objects having very small dimensions The invention relates to a device to detect individual moving objects having very small dimensions. The device according to the invention comprises a photo electric sensor having at least one light beam transmitter and one light beam receiver, the objects that are t... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7268705 | Input detection based on speckle-modulated laser self-mixing A keyboard detects press or release of keys based on laser output which is changed by speckle-modulated self-mixing. Unique targets are attached to keys. As a target is moved into and/or out of the path of a laser, speckling causes light to shine back into the laser... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7266261 | Fiber optics differential pressure transducer A fiber optics differential pressure transducer (100, 200, 300, 400) containing Bragg networks (118), said transducer being used to measure the differential pressure in a Venturi installed inside a pipe (1), through which a fluid like oil is dis... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7262888 | Optical scanner apparatus with pinhole imaging device A pinhole-imaging device is used as an imaging device for an optical scanner apparatus. The pinhole-imaging device replaces the conventional lens-imaging device and is placed in front of the optical sensor to receive the imaged light from the scanning object and the... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7258028 | Load measuring transducer including elastic structure and gauge using induced voltage, and load measuring system using the same The present invention relates to a load measuring transducer including gauges and elastic structure and weighing system for measuring weight applied to a structure. The load measuring transducer of the present invention comprises a stationary gauge which is construc... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7257473 | Steering column switch system comprising an emergency operation function A steering column switch system includes a device for recording the position of the steering column switch. The device converts the switching position that has been adopted by the steering column switch into a bit pattern. A decoding unit assigns a switching functio... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7248476 | Apparatus for air cooling of an electronic device An apparatus for air-cooling an electronic device is disclosed. A contoured panel channels a flow of air within the housing of an electronic device so as to channel the flow of air more directly over heat producing elements such as the microprocessor and peripheral ... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7242017 | Device to detect and/or characterize individual moving objects having very small dimensions The invention relates to a device to detect and/or characterize individual moving objects having very small dimensions which comprises a photo electric sensor having at least one light beam emitter and one light beam receiver in which the objects that are to be meas... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7230230 | Apparatus for adjusting a signal and prohibiting adjustment of the signal based on a position of a movable member A signal adjusting apparatus includes a movable member, a setting device, and a prohibiting device. The movable member is movable in a movable range to have the electrical signal adjusted in accordance with a position of the movable member. The setting device sets a... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7227069 | Insertable piano/keyboard strip for sensing key movement A portable modular device for the purpose of sensing key movement of a piano or keyboard, processing key movement information, and communicating at least key-note ON/OFF and key-note velocity information. A portion of the modular device, the key sensor strip, insert... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7224307 | Electronic device Electronic equipment includes an operation mechanism having a plurality of key buttons for inputting operations into the device by the user and a base member connecting the plurality of key buttons, both formed of a luminescent material, and a panel placed above the... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7221447 | Consumable for laser capture microdissection Systems and methods for acquiring laser capture microdissection samples are disclosed. A scattering media is located within a beam path defined by the laser capture microdissection microscope and the sample is imaged through the scattering media. A transfer film car... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7214927 | Method and apparatus using liquid crystal light valve to filter incident light on a photodetector In one embodiment, light is detected using a photodetector. If the detected light is causing the photodetector to saturate, one or more liquid crystal light valves are adjusted to filter the amount of incident light on the photodetector. ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7197204 | Applications of light movable liquid crystal Practical applications of a class of nematic elastomer which has light avoidance characteristics are disclosed. Such practical applications include a switching device, a load carrying device and programmable mask. The use of different light sources, including the us... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7193535 | Illuminated keyboard A keyboard is provided having illuminating keys. The keyboard includes a light channeling membrane and key members constructed at least partially of translucent material so that light produced from a light source is channeled upwardly to the upper surfaces of the ke... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7193536 | Illuminated keyboard A keyboard is provided having illuminating keys. The keyboard includes a light channeling membrane and key members constructed at least partially of translucent material so that light produced from a light source is channeled upwardly to the upper surfaces of the ke... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7183633 | Optical cross-connect system An optical cross-connect switch comprises a base (216), a flap (211) and one or more electrically conductive landing pads (222) connected to the flap (211). The flap (211) has a bottom portion that is movably coupled to the base ( | 02/27/2007 |
| 7183538 | Apparatus for adjusting a signal based on a position of a movable member A signal adjusting apparatus comprises a movable member, a first detecting device, a second detecting device, and a correction device. The member is movable in a movable range composed of a plurality of intervals. The first detecting device detects one of the interv... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7172303 | Illuminated keyboard A keyboard is provided having illuminating keys. The keyboard includes a light channeling membrane and key members constructed at least partially of translucent material so that light produced from a light source is channeled upwardly to the upper surfaces of the ke... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7162391 | Remote beverage equipment monitoring and control system and method The present disclosure provides a system and method for monitoring and controlling modifications to beverage equipment. The system includes at least one beverage equipment which may include a controller. The controller communicates over a communications network with... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7158918 | Machine performance monitoring system and billing method A system for monitoring the performance of beverage preparation equipment includes a device, such as a data collector, for monitoring the use of the equipment. Information regarding one or more inputs to the equipment is provided to the data collector which uses the... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7146091 | Method and system for automated simulation of cable failure in a network A method, system and device for simulating cable failures in a network are disclosed. In a first aspect, a plurality of optical cables which couple a plurality of devices within the network to each other are provided. The method and system includes providing at leas... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7146084 | Fiber optic light source for display devices A light source includes at least one optical fiber having a length and first and second ends and at least one electromagnetic wave source disposed along at least a portion of the length of the fiber for transmitting electromagnetic waves through a side surface of th... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7138903 | Lock module using colored light rays to identify the application of an accurate key A lock module includes a transmitting module to continuously transmit multiple colored light rays, a key adapted to be inserted into the keyhole of the lock and having multiple colored optical lenses each permitting a specific colored light ray to pass therethrough ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7132643 | Optical transducer having optical modulator in the vicinity of rotational axis of moving object and musical instrument using the same An optical transducer includes a photo-electric converter supported by a shank flange rail and optical modulators respectively attached to hammers of an automatic player piano; since a neck portion makes a photo-modulating pattern closer to the rotational axis of ea... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7133033 | Actuator for a switch An actuator for a switch, the actuator being movable between on and off positions against an adjustable resilient bias to provide a first signal when said actuator is in said on position and a second signal when said actuator is in said off position. ... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7116937 | Electric appliance Electric appliance, in particular in the form of an automotive radio, having a control element (4) for manual control of the electric appliance by a user, and a transmission unit (5) for wireless transmission of data from and/or to the electric applian... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7116857 | Optomechanical switch using laser or light movable liquid crystal An optomechanical switch comprised of light or laser movable liquid crystal is disclosed. The optomechanical switch consists of a plate of light movable liquid crystal rotatably disposed with respect to a substrate. When activated with a light or laser source, the l... | 10/03/2006 |
