Quotables
"It is my heart-warmed and world-embracing Christmas hope and aspiration that all of us, the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the admired, the despised, the loved, the hated, the civilized, the savage (every man and brother of us all throughout the whole earth), may eventually be gathered together in a heaven of everlasting rest and peace and bliss, except the inventor of the telephone. "
Mark Twain ; Christmas greetings, 1890
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6909373 | Floor monitoring system The invention discloses a system including floor tiles for monitoring the movements of individuals across a floor surface. The system is comprised of a plurality of floor tiles electrically and mechanically interconnected. The floor tiles are monitored to determine ... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6566819 | Touch operated control system for electrical devices A touch operated control system is provided that advantageously provides enhanced functionality, including a programmable timer that sets a light coupled to the dimmer to OFF after a predetermined period of time. The control system generally includes a co... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6548996 | Optimized on/off control circuit An on/off control circuit is provided that controls the application of power to a device. The effectiveness of the on/off control circuit is optimized with regard to cost, power consumption, component life, and utility. An R-C circuit is used to provide a... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6498590 | Multi-user touch surface A multi-user touch system includes a surface on which are a pattern of mounted antennas. A transmitter transmits uniquely identifiable signals to each antenna. Receivers are capacitively coupled to different users, the receivers are configured to receive ... | 12/24/2002 |
| 5714808 | Touch control supply system for an electrical device, method of implementation and applications A system for supplying at least one electrical apparatus with a touch control. The system may be utilized in a home automation system for supplying electrical equipment, e.g., light bulbs, motors, strip lights, electrical power points, etc., or may be uti... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5663633 | Touch control fan and method A control circuit for an electrical appliance having an inductive load includes a signal conditioning element, a control element, a power conditioning element, a power adjustment element, and a switching element. The control circuit is sensitive to input ... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5532557 | Electric light socket constructions Light socket improvements include a thermal conductor which removes heat by inducing a flow of air within the socket and/or which acts as heat sink that more efficiently transfers heat to the socket support thereby enabling use of higher wattage light bul... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5208516 | Touch controlled electric light socket with high current tolerance A light socket for engaging and energizing a light bulb is adapted for attachment to a lamp base or other light fixture and has an internal chamber in which a touch responsive control circuit is disposed. The circuit has a solid state switch element which... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5196782 | Touch-operated power control A system to control power from a source to a load consists of a cover plate, a touch-operable device that is mounted behind a flexible area on the cover plate, and a power control circuit that responds in accordance with a signal generated by the touch-op... | 03/23/1993 |
| 5066898 | Multi-way switch system having plural remote touch pads A multi-way electronic control switch having a central control unit and a plurality of remote touch pads. The central control unit is wired between power and a load, and may be wired as a single pole, single throw switch. Each remote touch pad is connecte... | 11/19/1991 |
| 4988924 | Circuit arrangement for controlling the brightness of a lamp A circuit arrangement is useful for controlling the brightness of a lamp (L) connected to a mains alternating voltage (N) by means of a sensor (SE) arranged on the lamp. The mains alternating voltage (N) is rectified by a rectifier (GL) and supplied to a ... | 01/29/1991 |
| 4939382 | Touch responsive power control system A touch responsive power control system in which the majority of the signal processing functions are achieved through digital circuitry and includes a controllable pulse generator responsive to the change in capacitance caused by a human touch at a touch ... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4816698 | Touch control circuit for incandescent lamps and the like A touch control circuit is disclosed, which delivers power at any one of a plurality of different levels. To accomplish this, a line cycle delay timer provides a plurality of output signals, each signal being spaced apart in time from the line voltage zer... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4803418 | In-line electrical switch for AC power supply A proximity switch e.g. for a domestic a.c. supply is connected in-line e.g. in the live line of the supply between live and switch live terminals. No direct connection is made to the neutral line. Switching is performed by a triac T which receives a gate... | 02/07/1989 |
| 4764717 | Touch-sensitive potentiometer for operator control panel A touch-sensitive potentiometer for an operator control panel. A linear strip having a polymeric resistor film is provided as an operator actuatable control. The stray capacitance of an operator's body, when the operator touches the strip along its length... | 08/16/1988 |
| 4701676 | Touch control adaptor A device for connecting in series between a source of electric power and an appliance which, without modifying the normal power connections or other parts of the appliance, isolates the capacitance to ground characteristic of the appliance from the power ... | 10/20/1987 |
| 4668877 | Touch controlled switch for a lamp or the like A small electronic module to regulate the power delivered to a lamp or similar appliance is plugged into the household electrical outlet and the lamp to be controlled is, in turn, plugged into the module. Each time the lamp is touched the power to the bul... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4668876 | Touch control switch and lamp system Disclosed is a touch control lamp system, including a touch control dimmer switch adapted to be plugged into a standard electrical household outlet, and a lamp having a male electrical plug adapted to plug into the touch control switch. When the plug from... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4651022 | Digital touch operated switch A touch operated switch for control of electrical lighting, appliances, machinery and equipment which requires non sparking fail-safe operation. The switch utilizes digital complementary metal oxide semi-conductor technology which requires nearly insignif... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4591765 | Lamp control This invention is an electronic lamp control circuit for connection between a lamp bulb and a wall receptacle controlled by a wall switch. The lamp control circuit includes switching circuitry which permits complete control of the lamp from either the wal... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4584519 | Incremental touch-operated switch This patent presents a touch-responsive switch which incrementally varies AC voltage supplied to an electrical apparatus. The invention includes digital circuitry which compares a control pulse train with a touch affected pulse train to create a switching... | 04/22/1986 |
| 4358715 | Keyboard operated controller A keyboard operated controller for controlling a plurality of lighting devices has a memory which includes a plurality of addressed multiposition registers wherein the positions store control indicia for the respective lighting devices. A finger-operated ... | 11/09/1982 |
| 4264831 | Touch control switch A touch control switch suitable for connection between a lamp load and a supply circuit in a lighting installation for alternating current and comprising a semiconductor switching element with a gate electrode, a counting circuit with a forward stepping i... | 04/28/1981 |
| 4246533 | Proximity controlled power switching circuit A switching circuit controlled by the approach of a body into close proximity to its probe and operative to control the flow of power from an AC source to a load using a silicon control switching device enabled by an oscillator generating narrow gate puls... | 01/20/1981 |
| 4237386 | Plug-in module for touch control switching A touch-operated switch for electrical apparatus which includes a power connection to the apparatus, a serially connected power socket in the connection provided with a pair of terminal jacks each in the form of make-before-break electrical contacts, a pl... | 12/02/1980 |
| 4211959 | Touch-control adapter for electric lamps Disclosed is a touch control adapter that is used with any standard electric lamp. It operates to turn the lamp on or off in response to a mere touching of the lamp. One embodiment operates as a three-way controller; while another embodiment operates as a... | 07/08/1980 |
| 4152629 | Lamp responsive to the human touch upon a living plant and control system therefor A system for controlling an electrical circuit, such as a lamp circuit, in response to the human touch whereby the circuit may be turned on and off by means of the human touch upon a conductive element of the circuit, one such conductive element being a p... | 05/01/1979 |
| 4101805 | Touch-responsive socket A socket for mounting an electrical device such as an ordinary incandescent light bulb and enabling the electrical device to be switched to either its "off" condition or its "on" condition in response to touching the socket housing or any part of the stru... | 07/18/1978 |
| 3984757 | Proximity actuated power control variable as to sense and magnitude When connected to an ordinary A.C. power source, the apparatus has a power supply in which a circuit ground oscillates in voltage with respect to the earth ground, no matter with which polarity the apparatus is connected to the power source. A person's ca... | 10/05/1976 |
| 3968467 | Touch controlled voltage-divider device A voltage divider device capable of providing any voltage in a preselected range of voltages, which voltage may be set by a touch of the finger is disclosed. The device includes a control element without frictional contacts and a voltage storage circuit c... | 07/06/1976 |
