...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!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8115807 | Apparatus and method for mapping hair metric Apparatus for determining the status of hair bulk in an area of a scalp is operative to provide a metric over a sufficiently large area to permit revisiting with only negligible misalignment error. Accurate re-measurement of hair status in accurately identified area... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8094186 | Skin condition diagnosis system and beauty counseling system A data collection system is connected to a data analysis system that carries out analysis processing based on data collected by the data collection system via communication. The data collection system includes collection-side communication, image capturing for captu... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8063933 | Battery contacts for an in-vivo imaging device The invention provides an in vivo imaging device, the device comprising a first support having thereon a first battery contact, a second support having thereon a second battery contact, a battery disposed between the first support and the second support such that th... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8045000 | System and method for displaying an image stream A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The images may be displayed fused. The ima... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8035685 | Systems and methods for communicating video data between a mobile imaging system and a fixed monitor system A system for communicating video data is described. The system includes a mobile imaging system, at least one monitor fixed to a room in a medical facility, and a video transmitter assembly coupled to the mobile imaging system to transmit a video signal. The system ... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8026942 | Skin imaging system with probe A skin testing and imaging station and corresponding method for capturing, displaying and analyzing images of a person and for testing the skin using a variety of probes includes a digital camera, a light source capable of providing at least two different wavelength... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8026943 | Surface mapping and generating devices and methods for surface mapping and surface generation A surface mapping and generating device which has devices for the process and/or cost optimization, in particular raw material recovery devices, an automatic control of the intensity of a used laser light, devices for carrying out a calibrating procedure by evaluati... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8022981 | Apparatus and method for automatically controlling power of video appliance Provided is an apparatus and method for automatically controlling power of a video appliance. The apparatus for automatically controlling power of a video appliance includes an image input unit for capturing a viewer's posture, a posture detection unit for detecting... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8022980 | System and method for displaying an image stream A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. Post processing may be used to fuse images... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7986337 | System and method for editing an image stream captured in vivo A system and method may allow editing of an image stream, which may be produced by, for example, an ingestible capsule. A workstation accepts images acquired by the capsule and displays the images on a monitor as a moving image. The editing method may include, for e... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7920162 | Display method and system for surgical procedures A method and system includes multiple displays that can be separately controlled by users who are part of a surgical team. The first display will include information to assist a first user through the steps of a surgical procedure and the second display will assist ... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7916169 | Face image capture apparatus A face image capture apparatus for a vehicle repeatedly performs an output of a difference image to an image ECU. When the number of times of outputs reaches a predetermined number of times, a bright face image from which an influence of disturbance light is not rem... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7880765 | Receiving apparatus A receiving apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives an image signal, identification information on a transmitting apparatus, and color adjusting information that are radio transmitted from the transmitting apparatus; a lock controller that locks the color ... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7782358 | Measuring human movements—method and apparatus A method and apparatus are disclosed for measuring human movement of a test subject during a standard coordination and balance test. The test subject is placed in a selected test position, e.g. standing on one leg for a selected test period. A sensor device is attac... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7764303 | Imaging apparatus and methods for capturing and analyzing digital images of the skin An imaging station for taking a plurality of digital images of a subject under a plurality of illuminating conditions and storing and analyzing the digital images, includes a housing, containing the digital image capturing apparatus, like a camera or video recorder,... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7764304 | Method for activating an image collecting process The present invention relates to a method for activating an image collecting process, comprising the step of releasing the power source of a component essential to the image collecting process from an inhibition imposed by an external magnet. In an embodiment... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7728868 | System and method of providing real-time dynamic imagery of a medical procedure site using multiple modalities A system and method of providing composite real-time dynamic imagery of a medical procedure site from multiple modalities which continuously and immediately depicts the current state and condition of the medical procedure site synchronously with respect to each moda... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7505062 | System and method for displaying an image stream A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The images may be collected from an ingest... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7499076 | Make-up counseling apparatus The present invention is composed of a computer positioned at a basal portion of an apparatus for conducting image processing and counseling processing; a first image display means for displaying a computer-processed image to a subject, mounted upright in the comput... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7474327 | System and method for displaying an image stream A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. Post processing may be used to fuse images... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7444071 | Method for diagnosing disease from tongue image A digital image processing method for a centralized multi-mode medical tongue image inspection system, comprising the steps of: forming at least one service unit (300) for performing tongue record (220) construction; forming a processing unit (320 | 10/28/2008 |
| 7440005 | Endoscope In an endoscope, scopes that include a scope-side memory and a connector are selectively and detachably connected to a processor that includes a processor-side memory and a connection member. A parameter stored in the scope-side memory can be written to the processo... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7415140 | Method of correcting deviation of detection position for human face, correction system, and correction program A method of correcting the deviation of a position at which a human face is detected using a face detection frame F. An image G within the detection frame F is divided left and right along the portion of the center axis C. The degree of similarity of mirror-symmetri... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7403636 | Method and apparatus for processing an image The present invention provides a method of processing an image, which includes the steps of identifying one candidate for human face region within the image, selecting a mouth neighborhood within the candidate for human face region, processing the mouth neighborhood... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7400342 | Optical observation apparatus with video device An optical observation apparatus includes: an optical system which produces an image of an object being observed and a video device (7) for recording the image and producing an image signal. The video device (7) includes a first memory (71) for ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7400754 | Method and apparatus for characterization of chromophore content and distribution in skin using cross-polarized diffuse reflectance imaging A digital imaging system provides color information of an entire port wine stain or other skin condition with a single image in CIE L*a*b* color space (L*, a*) derived from RGB pixel data (R, G, B). Cross-polarization optics produce marked reduction in specularly re... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7391887 | Eye tracking systems An eye tracking system includes an eye camera and a scene camera for supplying video data to interlace electronics indicative of an image of the user's eye and an image of the scene observed by the user. A frame grabber is provided for digitizing the video data and ... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7379114 | Image determination apparatus and individual authentication apparatus An image determination apparatus is provided which obtains a first image which is picked up by illuminating the subject of image pickup from a first position and a second image which is picked up by illuminating the subject of image pickup from a second position. Th... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7376346 | Method of promoting skin care products The present invention relates to a method of assessing the efficacy of skin care products by comparing images of the skin prior to and after use of said skin care product. ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7369692 | Skin observing apparatus A skin observing apparatus capable of observing the skin texture, blotches caused from subcutaneous pigmentation and skin roughness caused from keratin abrasion by a single unit of image pick-up device without using a polarization plate for observing blotches or con... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7365766 | Video-assisted apparatus for hearing impaired persons There is described a method for providing audio and visual communication between a speaker and at least one hearing impaired person. The method comprises the steps of providing the speaker with a headset frame having a camera attached thereto and positioned to captu... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7365768 | Endoscope apparatus and function adjusting circuit for endoscope An endoscope includes an insert section, a CCD is mounted at the end of the insert section, and a CCU for producing a video signal is arranged in a control unit connected to a proximal end of the insert unit. The CCU includes a general-purpose DSP board having the f... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7366333 | Method and apparatus for selecting regions of interest in optical imaging There is provided a method and system for positioning a mammal for optical imaging in which a digital image of the mammal is obtained using a camera and a region of interest is selected using the digital image. The selected region is registered with an optical imagi... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7362210 | System and method for gate access control A system for providing stand-off biometric verification of a driver of a vehicle at a control gate while the vehicle is moving, including a pre-verification system and a post-verification systems. The pre-verification system is installed before an entrance of a faci... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7358987 | Endoscope system An endoscope system is provided with an endoscope processor that processes an image signal output by an electronic endoscope, an endoscope controlling system connected to the endoscope processor to control operation of the endoscope processor or a device connected t... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7355699 | Optical detector for a particle sorting system An optical system for acquiring fast spectra from spatially channel arrays includes a light source for producing a light beam that passes through the microfluidic chip or the channel to be monitored, one or more lenses or optical fibers for capturing the light from ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7346227 | Method and device for image transformation Biometry for transforming, receiving, processing and analyzing electronic images of living biological objects is provided. The Biometry detects the objects, which produce insignificant periodical oscillations thereby making it possible to receive and analyze the ima... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7333631 | Landmark, apparatus, and method for effectively determining position of autonomous vehicles A landmark used to effectively determine the location of an autonomous vehicle, and a self-localization apparatus and method using the landmark are provided. In the self-localization method, first, first and second outer line information and shape information are ex... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7321385 | Surgical lighting control and video system A surgical light system (10) includes a lighthead (44) coupled to a suspension arm (41′) adapted for mounting to a surface (14) of a surgical room. A bulb (130) is disposed in the lighthead. A processor (120) in the lighth... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7319781 | Method and system for multiple passes diagnostic alignment for in vivo images A digital image processing method for multiple passes diagnostic alignment of in vivo images, comprising the steps of: acquiring images using an in vivo video camera system; forming an in vivo video camera system examination bundlette; transmitting the examination b... | 01/15/2008 |