Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8072147 | Lighting and/or signalling device for a vehicle, associated with electronics with a high level of integration The device according to the invention comprises a light source and electronic supply and control. The light source electronic supply and control comprises at least one circuit comprising at least one stack of chips formed from at least two power components (IGBT | 12/06/2011 |
| 7982403 | Multifunctional motor vehicle headlight module, in particular for the front region of a motor vehicle A motor vehicle headlight module having at least two lighting units (1) is specified. Here, each lighting unit (1) comprises at least one light-emitting diode chip (2). Different lighting units (1) are provided here for different lighting... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7973484 | Method and device for automatically switching to main beam A main beam switching arrangement for a road vehicle has a lighting device switchable over main beam and dipped headlamps. A sensor device determines at least one ambient parameter, and a control unit with an activatable and deactivatable automatic function automati... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7919925 | Lighting control device of lighting device for vehicle In a process in which a control signal having a low level is output from an ON/OFF control circuit to series regulators connected to LEDs serving as lighting targets to turn ON the LEDs in accordance with digital communication information, the ON/OFF control circuit... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7906913 | Low loss input channel detection device for a direct current powered lighting system A device used with a direct current power source for energizing a lamp. The device includes a plurality of input channels selectively connected to the power source for providing current to the lamp. For each input channel, the device includes a corresponding current... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7902758 | Power supply system and method for automotive LED lighting systems An automotive lighting assembly receiving light from a power source and for producing light. The automotive lighting assembly includes a first lighting circuit which is operatively connected to the power source for emitting light as a function of electric current. A... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7893623 | High-intensity discharge lamp A high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp comprising an inner bulb (1) with a discharge vessel (11) and an outer bulb (2), especially for application in an automotive headlight unit is disclosed. A lamp design is proposed by which high thermal stres... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7825600 | System for controlling vehicle equipment A system and method of automatically controlling exterior vehicle lights includes an image sensor and a controller to generate control signals. The control signals are derived based on information obtained from the image sensor as well as other detected parameters p... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7786677 | Control circuit for turning on/off automobile lights A control circuit for turning on/off automobile lights is connected to first, second and third power output units and an input trigger circuit. When a car is started, the second power output unit supplies power to the control circuit. Thereafter, the third power out... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7781978 | Vehicular lamp A vehicular lamp includes a semiconductor light source and a switching means arranged to switch between a first lighting mode, in which the semiconductor light source stays on, and a second lighting mode, in which the semiconductor light source repeatedly turns on a... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7755295 | Vehicle head lamp device A head lamp device for a vehicle includes a DC power source, a diode array having a plurality of series-connected light emitting diodes and a current control circuit that supplies driving current to the diode array. The current control circuit is constituted of a cu... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7719197 | Finite state machine vehicle headlight controller A headlight control system provides a several automated operational features. A problem with such systems in the past is the possibility of inadvertent operation of the vehicle without headlights under low light or other adverse conditions. Automated control is achi... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7701144 | Vehicular lamp A vehicular lamp includes a lamp body; a plurality of LED light sources disposed inside a lamp chamber formed by a front cover positioned in front of the lamp body; and a lighting circuit portion positioned behind the LED light sources. The LED light source is elect... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7659670 | Headlamp control circuit A headlamp control circuit reduces a possibility that all headlamps become lights-out in a two-lamp system headlight, even if a switching element fails under a high-beam condition while the single switching element is driven to light two right and left high-beam fil... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7649321 | Irradiation direction control apparatus and method An apparatus for controlling the irradiation direction of a lamp for a vehicle is provided with an actuator 3R for controlling the irradiation direction of a headlamp 2R and a controller (ECU) 1 for controlling the actuator 3R in accordan... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7646151 | Light source module There is disclosed a light source module comprising a high intensity discharge light source; optical elements including at least a reflector for redirecting and focusing the light emanating from said light source; and electronic elements for supplying said light sou... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7576493 | Vehicle LED lamp controller used in low temperature environment A vehicle LED lamp controller connected between one DC power source and multiple LED elements has a starting circuit, a preheating circuit and a current limitation circuit. The starting circuit is connected to the power source through the preheating circuit and conn... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7535181 | Method and device for ballast management in particular for a motor vehicle headlamp A method for managing a gas discharge lamp in particular for a motor vehicle headlamp. The method is of the type which consists in controlling initial and nominal supply powers of the lamp by means of control signals during the operating phases of the lamp which com... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7501767 | Vehicle headlamp A vehicle headlamp is provided with a lamp unit, a first actuator for controlling the irradiation direction within the horizontal plane, a second actuator for controlling the irradiation direction within the vertical plane. A communication unit transmits and receive... | 03/10/2009 |
| 7482756 | Directional lamp daytime running light module and vehicular turn signal control system A vehicular lighting control system for controlling the illumination of a vehicle's external directional/turn signaling and/or hazard lighting, by controlling continuous illumination of pairs of the brightest filaments of single or dual filament bulb designed vehicl... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7443050 | Power device for multiple light sources with switching and charge pump circuit To control individually a plurality of loads to be turned on by combining a switching regulator with a charge pump circuit using some of the components of the switching regulator. An LED is controlled to be turned on by a switching regulator having an NMOS transisto... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7438458 | Independent lighting energy interruption system and method An auxiliary lighting energy interruption system for use with snow plows and like front-mounted vehicle accessories is disclosed which facilitates the interconnection of such auxiliary lighting energy interruption systems to the lighting system of a vehicle upon whi... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7429825 | Headlight beam control system and headlight beam control method A headlight beam control system includes an image taking apparatus for capturing an image to the rear of the user's vehicle and for generating image data from the captured image, a following vehicle information acquisition unit for acquiring following vehicle inform... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7415338 | Apparatus for controlling auxiliary equipment of vehicle An apparatus for controlling operation of auxiliary equipment of a vehicle by receiving an output of a surroundings detection sensor for detecting the surrounding of the vehicle and an output of the vehicle information sensor, for detecting operation of the vehicle,... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414524 | Lighting control circuit for vehicle lighting equipment A higher voltage out of a battery voltage applied to an ignition voltage terminal or a control voltage applied to a control voltage terminal is supplied to a switching regulator via a diode. Then, a supply of current to an LED in the switching regulator is controlle... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7410281 | Independent lighting energy interruption system with advanced reconfiguration and method A reconfigurable auxiliary lighting energy interruption system for use with snow plows and like front-mounted vehicle accessories is disclosed which facilitates the interconnection of such systems to the lighting system of a vehicle upon which the vehicle accessory ... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7408136 | Vehicle vision based systems having improved light source distinguishing features An imaging system for use in a vehicle headlamp control system includes an opening, an image sensor, a red lens blocking red complement light between the opening and the image sensor, and a red complement lens blocking red light between the opening and the image sen... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7408478 | Area of representation in an automotive night vision system A method for detecting surroundings by an automotive night vision system comprising several areas, including a detection area (3) in which surroundings related data is detected, an evaluation area within which the surroundings-related data detected by the nig... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7400266 | Method for improving vision in a motor vehicle A method, a device and a processing unit for improving visibility in a motor vehicle are described, a light source of the motor vehicle illuminating an illumination range. At least one monitoring sensor of the motor vehicle monitors the surroundings around the motor... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7378753 | Vehicular automatic light control apparatus A headlight is turned on if an external illuminance value outside of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a first threshold value if the non-rainfall state is judged from windshield wiper activation, and is permitted to be turned on if the external illuminance valu... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7374320 | Vehicular headlamp apparatus A control unit of a vehicular headlamp apparatus can selectively perform steering angle control and navigation-cooperative control. The steering angle control operates a drive mechanism based on a steering angle and a speed of a vehicle to control a headlamp's swive... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7372214 | Apparatus and method for driving lamp of liquid crystal display device A lamp driving apparatus of a liquid crystal display includes a plurality of lamps arranged with a predetermined distance between adjacent lamps; a comparator to compare output voltages of lamps that are separated by more than the lamp distance; and a power intercep... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7372055 | Night vision infrared illuminator An illuminator assembly is provided for supplying night vision illumination. The assembly includes a support housing and an infrared illumination source. An infrared reflector receives the radiation emitted from the infrared illumination source and reflects the infr... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7368901 | Sequential control circuit A sequential control circuit operates according to an input signal. When the input signal is determined at a first state, the sequential control circuit asserts a plurality of control signals in a predetermined sequence. When the input signal is determined at a seco... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7368885 | Lighting controller for lighting device for vehicle A lighting controller for a lighting device for a vehicle includes a semiconductor light source; a power source for supplying electric power; and control circuitry for receiving the electric power from the power source and controlling a current supplied to the semic... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7365991 | Dual LED board layout for lighting systems Circuit boards for lighting systems have identical LED landing zones printed on the board. Each zone includes at least two sets of LED contact pads. One pad set is configured to mate with contacts of an LED of a first structural type, e.g. from a first product line ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7361875 | Vehicle headlamp control utilizing a light sensor having at least two light transducers Equipment on automotive vehicle is controlled by a system including at least one semiconductor light sensor having variable sensitivity to light. Each light sensor generates a light signal indicative of the intensity of light incident on the light sensor. Control lo... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7360922 | Combination of light tube with stabilizer A light tube assembly includes a light tube and a stabilizer which includes a tubular body with copper members that are slidably engaged with curved slots in a base. A core with terminal plates is received in the tubular body and two locking pin 51s extend th... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7363175 | Query based electronic battery tester An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery provides a test output indicative of a condition of the battery. Electronic measurement circuitry provides a measurement output related to a condition of the battery. The battery condition is determined base... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7355347 | Auxiliary lighting system for vehicles A vehicle lighting system has primary and auxiliary systems, which operate exclusively depending upon the selected operational mode. The problem addressed is availability of civilian vehicles for alternative operations including military operations, where the conven... | 04/08/2008 |
