Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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 |
| 8125568 | Muting device and muting method A muting device includes an external sound input unit that receives an external sound and an internal sound input unit that only receives an internal sound. The external sound received by the external sound input unit has a component, which corresponds to the intern... | 02/28/2012 |
| 7796195 | Circuit for eliminating abnormal sound A circuit for eliminating abnormal sound includes a video/audio processor, a D/A converter, a front-stage mute circuit, a changing delay device, a front-stage amplifier, a back-stage amplifier, a back-stage mute circuit, and a micro control unit. The circuit is moun... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7508456 | Remote control system for adjusting a volume level of a television A remote control system for adjusting a volume level of a television is provided. The remote control system includes a handheld remote control device having a partial mute switch, a wireless signal transmitter, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is operably co... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7206648 | Multi-channel audio reproducing apparatus A multi-channel audio reproducing apparatus includes several audio power amplifiers, the number of which is less than the number of channels required for the multi-channel format of the input audio signals. The multichannel audio reproducing apparatus also includes ... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7139031 | Automated language filter for TV receiver A method and apparatus for use in connection with home television receivers involving processing an electronic signal, including audio and video processors; the audio information, including digital representations thereof, is analyzed and modified to compare words a... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7113587 | Method and apparatus for non-disruptive telecommunication loop condition determination The invention provides a low cost, simple, circuit for detecting the condition of a telephone line. ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7111319 | Set top box access hub system An apparatus comprising an audio/video decoder and a storage device. The audio/video decoder may be configured to receive (i) one or more uncompressed audio signals and (ii) one or more compressed audio/video signals. The uncompressed audio signals may be tagged to ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7057669 | Language displaying apparatus for digital TV and method for the same A language displaying apparatus for a digital TV and a method for the same notices all kinds of languages included in broadcasting signals and enables a user to recognize them and select the preferable language easily and accurately. To achieve this, the method acco... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7023325 | Programmable electronic circuit A programmable electronic circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes a CPU, signal-generating circuitry, and RC circuitry having at least two capacitors, such that when both of the capacitors are switched into the RC circuitry by the CPU, a signal is produced from a... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7012652 | Audio hush for entertainment equipment and particularly television receivers A user operated remote controller for quieting of sound volume from a television set or other entertainment equipment. User remotely commands an abrupt lowering of the volume to a HUSH level intermediate between a normal and a muted volume level. A remote control co... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6995807 | Micro-power stand-by mode A micro-power stand-by system is provided which minimizes power supplied to and the utilization of a stand-by power supply circuit and the resultant production of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) during normal electronic device operation. In one embodiment, the s... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6972802 | Language filter for home TV A method and an apparatus for use in connection with home television video recording, playback, and viewing involving processing an electronic signal, including audio and video information, whereby the audio information, including digital representations thereof, is... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6954537 | Power-off noise suppression circuit and associated methods for an audio amplifier device An audio amplifier device includes a power supply having an output for providing a supply voltage, a voltage divider connected to the output of the power supply for providing a divided supply voltage, and an audio amplifier that further includes a supply voltage rej... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6947060 | Image forming apparatus, electron beam apparatus, modulation circuit, and image-forming apparatus driving method An image forming apparatus which performs pulsewidth modulation with a pulsewidth set by counting a clock. Especially, for grayscale level correction by setting the frequency of the clock, the periodic clock is counted, and an output pattern is changed in accordance... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6909471 | Audio volume control Systems and method for controlling audio volume are provided. One method for controlling audio volume includes receiving a user input requesting a first volume-type that is associated with a first audible volume level, and responsive to receiving the user input, mod... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6867818 | Automated language filter for home TV A method and apparatus for analyzing the closed caption aspect of a video signal for specific undesirable words or phrases and then muting the audio portion of those words or phrases while not effecting the video portion therein while simultaneously modifying the cl... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6710820 | Audio muting apparatus controlled by an interacting audio signal An audio muting apparatus including a control device 3 for gradually varying a converted output voltage 12 from a D/A converter 4 from an initial voltage to a prescribed voltage when performing muting and gradually varying the converted output v... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6573786 | Electronic devices comprising an audio amplifier and methods for controlling such electronic devices An electronic device comprises an audio amplifier, a main microprocessor and a user interface microprocessor. The UI microprocessor has a control pin for muting the audio amplifier. A muting circuit is provided for muting the audio amplifier when a signal... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6476878 | Method and apparatus for audio signal processing The method, apparatus, and system for controlling audio anomalies by using a mute switch 51 to prevent output of an auxiliary audio signal 21 in a television signal 20 with an auxiliary audio signal 21, such as a NICAM audio signal or dual language audio ... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6441868 | Image reproducing apparatus having a screen blanking function and a screen blanking method using the same An image reproducing apparatus having a screen blanking function for suspending image information displayed on a screen and a screen blanking method using the same are provided. The image reproducing apparatus includes a command applying circuit for apply... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6424341 | Device for and method of controlling OSD in muting video signals A device for controlling an OSD in muting video signals is adapted to eliminate an after-image of the OSD when muting the video signals in a display monitor having an OSD function by use of both hardware and software. The device includes: a microcomputer ... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6396549 | Remote controller for a multi-device television receiving system providing channel number auto-completion, presettable audio hush level and base channel auto-reaffirm A handheld remote controller for a televisor that automatically prefixes a single-digit program channel selection, typically between 2 and 9, with a leading zero in response to a prolonged single digit keybutton actuation exceeding about 3 seconds or by a... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6392695 | Image display device An image display device having (a) a DVD or a CD, (b) a television receiver, (c) a display for displaying an image from the DVD and the television receiver, (d) a screen burn-in preventer, and (e) a deterioration protector for protecting the display devic... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6337687 | Apparatus for controlling video mode of computer having LCD and method therefor A video mode controlling apparatus and method of a computer having a LCD is provided. The method includes the steps of checking whether or not the video mode to be changed by the mode change controlling information is supported by the video controller, tu... | 01/08/2002 |
| 6188731 | Apparatus and method for synchronizing audio/video signal An apparatus and method for synchronizing audio and video signals wherein the motion of a picture is detected in case of occurring timing difference between the audio and video signals and subsequently a threshold is adjusted in association with the detec... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6181364 | System for filtering content from videos A system is provided for filtering out potentially objectionable content from a video. The system is preferably implemented with user equipment such as a set-top box, a dedicated stand-alone box, a videocassette recorder, or circuitry in other television ... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6166780 | Automated language filter A method and apparatus for analyzing the closed captioned aspect of a video signal for specific undesirable words or phrases and then muting the audio portion of those words or phrases while not affecting the video portion therein while simultaneously mod... | 12/26/2000 |
| 5870708 | Method of and apparatus for scanning for and replacing words on video cassettes A scanning apparatus for scanning a video recording for objectionable content is disclosed that includes an audio processor for analyzing the recording and recognizing the objectionable audio, and audio control gate for manipulating the objectionable audi... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5778077 | Automatic volume adjusting device and method A method and device for automatically adjusting the volume of an existing audio device such as a television and/or stereo receiver. The automatic volume adjusting device of the present invention includes a receiver for receiving control signals transmitte... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5697079 | Audio signal editing device for use with a television An audio editing device for use with a television including a memory device for storing data representative of predetermined audio signals. Also included is a comparator for comparing the digital form of an input audio signal with the data of the memory d... | 12/09/1997 |
| 5477277 | Apparatus and method for controlling the muting of sound and the display of audio information on a television receiver Apparatus and method which commands the displaying of audio information on a television receiver display in the case where it is judged that a sound muting control unit was operated, whereby the audio information is displayed by a single operation of the ... | 12/19/1995 |
| 5408273 | Muting circuit for a television receiving set A muting circuit for a television receiving set comprises a mute-judging part, a mute key input, an acoustic output circuit, a caption-judging part, and a caption key input. The mute-judging partenters a mute ON and a mute OFF state alternately every time... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5381186 | Video signal decoder muting circuit and method of muting A mute circuit of a MUSE decoder can remove noise produced in the changing of channels in a multi-broadcast receiver and includes a synchronizing signal comparator for comparing the audio frame synchronizing signal of a received signal with a standard fra... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5369440 | System and method for automatically controlling the audio output of a television A system and method for automatically controlling the audio output from a television so as to avoid listening to undesired material includes a microphone for converting the audio output from the television into audio signals, an audio amplifier for amplif... | 11/29/1994 |
| 5357281 | Image processing apparatus and terminal apparatus The present invention is directed to a terminal apparatus in which the in-frame compression factor of an image obtained by a camera is increased to restrict frame thinning when the camera is moved. A control circuit 60 performs control of a movable table ... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5327176 | Automatic display of closed caption information during audio muting A system for processing audio and video components of a television signal provides for automatic control of closed caption signal display in response to the status of an audio muting feature. The system includes an operating mode in which enabling audio m... | 07/05/1994 |
| 5276714 | Broadcast/non-broadcast MUSE signal sound decoder with a variable protection period A MUSE sound decoder detects a broadcasting/non-broadcasting identification flag included in the control signals in an applied MUSE signal to determine whether the MUSE signal is broadcasted or non-broadcasted. The MUSE sound decoder further includes a fr... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5255094 | Muting circuit for eliminating transient signals generated due to power supply turn-on and turn-off A muting circuit for eliminating transient signals generated due to power supply "turn-on" and "turn-off" is presented. In one embodiment, a junction in a signal chain is AC shunted to ground independent of the DC status of the junction. This shunting is ... | 10/19/1993 |
| 5134491 | Projection type image display apparatus A projection type image display apparatus uses an optical modulation image display device as a light valve. Notwithstanding the use of a metal vapor discharge lamp which has a long re-starting period of time as a light source, the apparatus can display im... | 07/28/1992 |
| 5128987 | Telephone-responsive device for muting the sound output of a television set Apparatus responsive to the operation of a nearby telephone for selectively muting the sound output of a television set, including a ring detection circuit and an off-hook detection circuit coupled in parallel and responsive to either a ringing signal or ... | 07/07/1992 |
