Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is a patented inventor - she created a diaper equipped with a premoistened baby wipe. And that's no act!
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 |
| 7362912 | Method and system for immediately determining incorrect pixel values of a captured image A method for immediately determining incorrect pixel values of a captured image on an optical mouse, which determines a quality of an image in a video stream captured by the optical mouse and accordingly finds a motion distance for the optical mouse. The method firs... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7355587 | Method and apparatus for computer input using six degrees of freedom A computer input device includes a camera for capturing an image of a pattern on a surface. A processor in the computer input device determines equations for lines from the image of the pattern, applies the line equations to a transform to form transformed line equa... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7355588 | Light control module and method thereof A light control module appropriate for an optical pointing device. The light control module comprises a processing unit outputting a first signal and a second signal, a photo sensor unit executing a capture operation according to an impulse of the first signal, and ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7333250 | Image scanner with a single motor providing two-dimensional movement of photosensors An image scanner has a movable photosensor array that can be moved in two dimensions in a plane. Two dimensional movement is provided using a single motor. ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7333083 | Optical based performance improvement for an optical illumination configuration A system, method, and method of manufacturing directed to an optical device with an efficient optical illumination. The optical illumination can be provided by tilting a light source and using a refractive lens to direct the light onto a surface. Alternatively, the ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7327280 | Emergency vehicle traffic signal preemption system An emergency vehicle traffic light preemption system for preemption of traffic lights at an intersection to allow safe passage of emergency vehicles. The system includes a real-time status monitor of an intersection which is relayed to a control module for transmiss... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7327351 | Optical pointing system, signal transmission method of the same, and signal processing method of computing apparatus used in the same Disclosed is an optical pointing system, a signal transmission method of the same, and a signal processing method of a computer used in the optical pointing system. The optical pointing system comprises an image sensor for outputting an analog signal corresponding t... | 02/05/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7289649 | Fingerprint imager A method and system of imaging an object. First, movement information of the object is determined by using a navigation sensor array and a navigation engine. Based on the movement information, an imaging sensor strobe signal is selectively asserted to control an ima... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7274808 | Imaging system and apparatus for combining finger recognition and finger navigation An imaging system for imaging a fingerprint operates in at least two different modes to provide both finger recognition and finger navigation applications. A light source illuminates a swipe interface having an elongated sensing area upon which a user swipes a finge... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7262759 | Optical based performance improvement for an optical illumination configuration A system, method, and method of manufacturing directed to an optical device with an efficient optical illumination. The optical illumination can be provided by tilting a light source and using a refractive lens to direct the light onto a surface. Alternatively, the ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7259858 | Imaging apparatus having media sensing system A system for sensing imaging media along a transport path. System includes a light source positioned proximate to a selected location along transport path. A transducer in optical alignment with light source so as to receive light from light source after light cross... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7250893 | Signal processing circuit and method for use with an optical navigation system A signal processing circuit and processing method are provided for measuring an analog signal from a photo-detector. Generally, the method includes steps of: (i) sampling and storing a characteristic of the signal at a first predetermined time following a reset of t... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7247836 | Method and system for determining motion based on difference image correlation An imager captures successive images of an object. One image is then subtracted from another image to generate difference images. Each difference image is then correlated with itself or with one of the images used to generate the difference image to determine the re... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7245287 | Method and apparatus for computer input using six degrees of freedom A pad for a computer input device includes a top surface over which the input device is slid and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface, for contacting a support surface. The bottom surface having a raised pivot portion allowing movement of the pad about the piv... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7236244 | Alignment target to be measured with multiple polarization states An alignment target includes periodic patterns on two elements. The periodic patterns are aligned when the two elements are properly aligned. By measuring the two periodic patterns at multiple polarization states and comparing the resulting intensities of the polari... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7224540 | Extended depth of field imaging system using chromatic aberration An imaging system (FIG. 3) is disclosed that has a wavelength dependent focal shift caused by longitudinal chromatic aberration in a lens assembly (203) that provides extended depth of field imaging due to focal shift (213,214) and increased res... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7216013 | Singulation detection system for objects used in conjunction with a conveyor system A system and method for reliably detecting singulated parcels traveling on a conveyor belt by comparing parcel characteristics before and after parcel agitation. First, parcel characteristics are evaluated. Then parcels are agitated to promote a change in characteri... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7215424 | Broadband ellipsometer or polarimeter system including at least one multiple element lens Quasi-achromatic multi-element lens(es) which are precisely mounted with respect to one another in a tubular mounting fixture, and the application thereof in focusing, (and optionally re-colliminating), a spectroscopic electromagnetic beam into a very small, chromat... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7205521 | Speckle based sensor for three dimensional navigation Motion of a speckle pattern is employed to provide for navigation in three dimensions. Non-speckle optical navigation methods may also be used to provide for two dimensional surface navigation with speckle being used to provide for navigation in the third dimension.... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7196690 | Input device off table switch According to one aspect of the invention, a movable cursor control device is provided for controlling a cursor on a display screen of a digital processing system. One exemplary cursor control device comprises a housing, an electromagnetic emitting device coupled to ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7193710 | Rotating or rotatable compensator spectroscopic ellipsometer system including multiple element lenses Disclosed are spectroscopic ellipsometer systems which include polarizer and analyzer elements which remain fixed in position during data acquisition, and at least one continuously rotating or step-wise rotatable compensator which ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7184026 | Impedance sensing screen pointing device An apparatus for controlling the position of a screen pointer for an electronic device having a display screen includes a plurality of sensing elements against which a portion of the tip of a human digit may be placed. A controller coupled to each of the sensing ele... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7164782 | System and method for time-space multiplexing in finger-imaging applications An apparatus for imaging a fingerprint operates in a selected mode to provide a finger recognition and/or a finger navigation application. Multiple light sources are capable of being sequentially selected for illumination of corresponding partitions of a finger inte... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7161586 | Method of operating an optical motion sensing device and optical motion sensing device implementing this method There is described a method of operating an optical motion sensing device comprising a light source and a photodetector device, the method comprising the steps of a) illuminating a surface portion with radiation by means of the light source, b) detecting radiation r... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7158659 | System and method for multiplexing illumination in combined finger recognition and finger navigation module An apparatus for imaging a fingerprint operates in a selected mode to provide a finger recognition and/or a finger navigation application. At least one light source illuminates at least one partition of a finger interface upon which a user places a finger (or thumb)... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7148973 | Position detecting method and apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method A method of determining relative position between a reflective reticle and a substrate includes a detection step of detecting relative position between a transmissive reference mark on a reticle stage and a substrate alignment mark on a substrate stage through a ref... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7145977 | Diagnostic method and apparatus for non-destructively observing latch data The invention provides a circuit that can observe data within shift registers without altering the data. The circuit includes selectors connected to the inputs and outputs of the shift registers. The selectors selectively connect the input with the output of a selec... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7129709 | Method of testing documents provided with optico-diffractively effective markings The invention relates to a method of examining the authenticity of a document provided with an optico-diffractively effective element or hologram by subjecting the hologram to capacitive coupling of a voltage and deriving a signal representative of the voltage for c... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7096058 | Laser blood-flow meter and system for monitoring bio-data A laser blood-flow meter includes a laser-beam irradiator for irradiating laser beams to biological structure, a detector for detecting scattered beams resulted from scattering of the laser beams in the biological structure, the laser blood-flow meter measuring bloo... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7088338 | Optical mouse and method for preventing an erroneous operation thereof Disclosed is an optical mouse comprising an image sensor, consisted of a plurality of pixels, for outputting signals accumulated in a given time as a pixel unit, an A/D converter, an image data calculating a moving value of the optical mouse, a system controller for... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7084987 | Method and system to interferometrically detect an alignment mark Coherent illumination is used to illuminate a symmetrical alignment mark with an image rotation interferometer producing two images of the alignment mark, rotating the images 1800 with respect to each other, and recombining the images interferometrically. The recomb... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7057148 | Optical tracking sensor method The present invention is a method of optical tracking sensing using block matching to determine relative motion. The method includes three distinct means of compensating for non-uniform illumination: (1) a one-time calibration technique, (2) a real-time adaptive cal... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7034323 | Method and device for performing a test for acceptability of bank notes by automatic vending machines In order to provide a procedure and a device that will enable the, at least partially, automated acceptance of bank notes that can be realized in an acceptable cost range and that will enable the highly automated, rapid acceptance of bank notes with a high level of ... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7034805 | Optical trackball An optical trackball is disclosed that is easy to operate without been worried about the contamination on the contacting shifts of encoders inside the trackball. When a distal motion from a user to rotate an operating ball having an uneven surface on the trackball, ... | 04/25/2006 |
| 6995748 | Apparatus for controlling a screen pointer with a frame rate based on velocity An apparatus for controlling the position of a screen pointer for an electronic device having a display screen includes a light source for illuminating an imaging surface, thereby generating reflected images. An optical motion sensor generates digital images from th... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6992780 | Position detecting method and apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method A method of detecting relative position of a reflecting-type reticle and a substrate with the reticle having an alignment mark thereon. The method includes a holding step of holding the reticle on a reticle stage which has a reference mark, and a detection step of d... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6993211 | Code reader A parameter setting section sets a parameter stored beforehand in a parameter storage section as a parameter in an operation in an image pick-up section or an image processing section until an image pick-up start detection section detects an image pick-up start of a... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6974947 | Apparatus and method for sensing rotation based on multiple sets of movement data An apparatus for sensing rotation includes a plurality of motion sensors constructed in a substantially coplanar arrangement. The plurality of motion sensors is each configured to generate incremental movement data indicative of movement of the sensor in two dimensi... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6956500 | Real-time residential energy monitor An inexpensive energy monitoring device and method for measuring energy usage and power costs in real time. The invention can include an external type digital battery powered camera that can be mounted away from and adjacent to the outdoor utility meter on a rotatab... | 10/18/2005 |