Did You Know...
...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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 |
| 7932686 | Drive device, hybrid vehicle equipped with the drive device, and control method for drive device A drive device having at least one electric motor that inputs and outputs motive power includes: a plurality of capacitors; a plurality of relays for capacitors that connects and disconnects the motor and the capacitors; and a relay control device that controls the ... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7408318 | Motor drive unit A motor drive unit is adapted to detect a motor lock-up condition (in which an electric motor is accidentally locked during driving) based on the fact that motor drive current increases in that event. Then, a capacitor for generating a voltage signal is charged with... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7340969 | Rotation-detecting apparatus A rotation-detecting apparatus includes a rotation-detecting device for detecting a rotation of a rotor, a rotational speed-detecting device (3) for detecting a rotational speed of the rotor and a transfer signal-generating device for generating a digitized t... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7291941 | Tandem arrangement linear motor A linear motor including a plurality of movers (1a to 1c), each of which is formed with an armature having a polyphase balancing winding (Ru to Rw), and a stator having a permanent magnet or a secondary conductor is configured such that t... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7135827 | Sawyer motor forcer with integrated drive electronics A digitally controlled, integrated Sawyer motor forcer consists of a rigid mechanical housing containing one or more linear motor segments, integrated control electronics, cooling means, and optional feedback sensors. The integrated control electronics include digit... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7078915 | Angular position sensor for rotating components such as steering columns A semi-circular dielectric rotor is attached to a steering column for rotation with the steering column. Straddling the rotor but not contacting it are an excitation electrode member which generates an electric field and a receiver electrode member that outputs sign... | 07/18/2006 |
| 6998738 | Plain surface stage apparatus A plain surface stage apparatus includes a platen having a plain surface, stationary type supports comprising at least three supporting members, and displacement type supports, each of which supports the platen and forms a displacement type supporting point at a pos... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6996495 | Capacitive motor sensor A capacitive motion sensor includes a primary plate including a primary pattern replicated periodically, a secondary plate including a plurality of pattern regions with an insulated region inserted there between, wherein each of the pattern regions has a secondary p... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6957020 | Optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbal An optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbal 10 that is particularly suited for directing an optical beam in an optical inter-satellite communications system is disclosed. The OISL gimbal 10 includes an azimuth drive housing 20, a generally cyl... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6918299 | Method and apparatus for improving performance of a force balance accelerometer based on a single-coil velocity geophone The invention concerns methods and apparatus for improving the performance of a force-balance accelerometer based upon a conventional, single-coil, velocity geophone. Specifically, the operating temperature range is increased through the use of both a temperature-co... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6492911 | Capacitive displacement encoder A capacitive motion encoder, for sensing the position of a moving object relative to a stationary object, includes at least one stationary element, coupled to the stationary object and a moving element, coupled to the moving object and in proximity to the... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6433449 | Galvanometer unit A galvanometer unit includes a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides pos... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6380649 | Galvanometer unit A galvanometer unit comprises a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides po... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6218803 | Position sensing with variable capacitance transducers For enabling precise operation of an oscillating device, such as a galvanometric optical scanner, a capacitive position transducer is provided with strategically located internal capacitive fiducial features that interact with the armature of the transduc... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6211641 | Capacitive resolver The present invention provides a capacitive resolver (100). The capacitive resolver (100) includes a charge plate (102), a sensing plate (106), and an interrupter plate (400) positioned between the charge plate (102) and the sensing plate (106). The front... | 04/03/2001 |
| 5910781 | Capacitive angle detector A capacitive angle detector according to the present invention is capable of detecting a rotating angle with a high precision. The capacitive angle detector includes a first member, a second member and a third member. The first and second members have a p... | 06/08/1999 |
| 5598153 | Capacitive angular displacement transducer Measuring device for the measurement of a rotor angle including a capacitive angular displacement transducer generating an output that varies with an angular displacement of a shaft. A first stator has a plurality of transmitting electrodes to generate el... | 01/28/1997 |
| 5420488 | Vacuum nozzle having dynamically adjustable placement force An apparatus and a method therefor is capable of automated and/or robotic assembly. The apparatus includes a vacuum nozzle (201) for aspirating and securing a component (202, 204). A spring (312) mechanically coupled to the vacuum nozzle (201) provides a ... | 05/30/1995 |
| 5200683 | Method for optimizing sampling rates for position tracking for motion control systems An auxiliary resolver position tracking (RPT) system for an industrial robot includes a resolver excitation and monitoring system which is powered by an uninterruptable power supply which includes a battery. The RPT system generates trapezoidal excitation... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5198739 | Software controllable circuit for resolver excitation switching in a motion control system An auxiliary resolver position tracking (RPT) system for an industrial robot includes a resolver excitation and monitoring system which is powered by an uninterruptable power supply which includes a battery. The RPT system generates trapezoidal excitation... | 03/30/1993 |
| 5077635 | Capacitive position sensor A capacitive position sensor includes a capacitor arrangement assembled of a stator (5) and a rotor (6). The stator supports at least three coplanar electrodes (21, 22, 23) having the shape of circle sectors 120°. The rotor supports at least a counterele... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5051671 | Proximity sensor and control Sensor circuitry which detects the presence or absence of material and activates a motor responsive thereto, having a capacitor which emits electric signal responsive to the presence of the material, a signal processing unit receives the capacitor's signa... | 09/24/1991 |
| 4986410 | Machine control apparatus using wire capacitance sensor A system for controlling the operating speed of a can machine having an input conveyor for temporarily storing cans while moving them along a path toward the machine includes a metal wire capacitance sensor. The wire may be formed in a repeating pattern a... | 01/22/1991 |
| 4963806 | Servo positioning apparatus A notch filter, used in a servo loop, for dampening a mechanical resonance of a mechanism to be servo-controlled, including a serial T-type filter with a capacitor-resistor (CR) network having a serial connection of a first, second and third capacitors co... | 10/16/1990 |
| 4958115 | Capacitively commutated brushless DC servomotors There are disclosed both one and two-dimensional, high resolution, brushless DC servomotors that are linear, rotary, planar and cylindrical in nature. All of these employ a capacitive method for deriving the required position and motor commutation informa... | 09/18/1990 |
| 4871058 | Machine control apparatus using wire capacitance sensor A system for controlling the operating speed of a can machine having an input conveyor for temporarily storing cans while moving them along a path toward the machine includes a metal wire capacitance sensor. The wire may be arranged either as a linear sen... | 10/03/1989 |
| 4851835 | Capacitive rotary transmitter for controlling and positioning displaced objects A capacitive linear or rotary transmitter for controlling and positioning displaced objects by measuring the displacement, angle or speed of the displaced object is formed, in one embodiment as a rotary transmitter, by two mutually opposed stators definin... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4755731 | Optical scanning transducer There is provided an optical scanning apparatus having an angular positioning means that is generally comprised of a variable capacitor including a rotor disc with a plurality of equally spaced conductors and a stator disc with twice as many equally space... | 07/05/1988 |
| 4737699 | Capacitive position transducer A capacitive position transducer for detecting position changes or producing position feedback signals in a servorecorder comprises a rhombic transmitter electrode connected to a voltage source and a plurality of rectangular receiver electrodes insulated ... | 04/12/1988 |
| 4720698 | Capacitive encoder having multiple precision outputs A capacitive position encoder which provides a digital output indication of the relative position between two plates. One of the plates includes first and second conductive input areas which are separated by a gap having the shape corresponding to a squar... | 01/19/1988 |
| 4694235 | Capacitive position sensor A capacitive position sensor for sensing changes in the position of a rotating element, in which there are two sets of stationary capacitive surfaces, one set forming a first integral unit, the other set forming a second integral unit; the two units are h... | 09/15/1987 |
| 4682004 | Measuring arrangement having a capacitive measuring electrode and a working tool with integrated electrode In a measuring arrangement for measuring or regulating spacing on thermal working machines (for example, flame cutting installations), two capacitive electrodes are arranged at different spacings from the workpiece. Interference signals can result from ch... | 07/21/1987 |
| 4631524 | Capacitive encoder having multiple precision outputs A capacitive position encoder which provides a digital output indication of the relative position between two plates. One of the plates includes first and second conductive input areas which are separated by a gap having the shape corresponding to a squar... | 12/23/1986 |
| 4629957 | Sensing apparatus A sensing apparatus has a probe displacement with respect to a support arm and to a reference position. The probe has a flat disc mounting three transducers which are spaced apart from one another at regular intervals. Each transducer has an elastomeric d... | 12/16/1986 |
| 4630047 | Capacitive-type position and reference angular rotation detecting apparatus There is provided a capacity type rotation detecting apparatus which comprises a first insulating circular plate having on one surface thereof at least one pair of sets of electrode pieces arranged circumferentially and connected electrically to one anoth... | 12/16/1986 |
| 4567410 | Capacitive article density monitor A capacitance article density monitor which is adjusted to have a zero voltage output when no articles are positioned adjacent a sensor and wherein the output of the circuit may be utilized directly to control a variable speed drive for a machine to which... | 01/28/1986 |
| 4527108 | Linear actuator with magnets Device for moving a member linearly is composed of at least two permanent magnets, a driving coil, circuit for supplying the driving coil with current, a moving member, and a detector. The two permanent magnets form magnetic field of first direction in fi... | 07/02/1985 |
| 4499465 | Capacitive-type incremental and reference angular rotation detecting apparatus There is provided a capacity type rotation detecting apparatus which comprises a first insulating circular plate having on one surface thereof at least one pair of sets of electrode pieces arranged circumferentially and connected electrically to one anoth... | 02/12/1985 |
| 4481451 | Electronically controlled positioner for pneumatic actuators An electronically controlled apparatus for controllably positioning pneumatic actuators includes, in a first embodiment, first means for selectively flowing compressed fluid to the actuator and valve means for selectively exhausting compressed fluid from ... | 11/06/1984 |
| 4476415 | Feedback transducer A transducer for generating a feedback signal representative of the position of a movable member includes a signal generating mechanism for providing an electrical feedback signal representative of the position of the movable member. The signal generating... | 10/09/1984 |
