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!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7719738 | Method and apparatus for reducing laser speckle An apparatus and method for reducing speckle of a laser beam is disclosed. The apparatus includes a light guide, a highly reflective mirror at the input face of the light guide and a partially-transmissive display after the exit face of the light guide. A coherent l... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7434947 | Adaptive phase mask for producing a phase shift in incident light Systems and methods for shifting the phase of incident light to induce a continuous phase variation in an azimuthal direction. A phase mask apparatus includes a conical mirror assembly and a flexible annular reflector that substantially surrounds at least a portion ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7427140 | Sunlight readable direct-view and projection-view computing device The present invention relates to a sunlight readable computing device, especially, to a full color direct-view and projection-view computing device. When the computing device works in the direct-view mode, the display panel tilt up to the conventional display positi... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7414772 | Color-neutral reflective control switchable thin film material The present invention provides a reflective control switchable thin film material that can become completely colorless when transparent, and the present invention relates to a reflective control switchable thin film material composed of a multilayer thin film in whi... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7401955 | Light shield for a vehicle mirror A vehicle mirror system includes a mirror unit which is held in space and supported above the front fender of the vehicle by support arms, the distal end of which is connected to the vehicle fender by suitable bracketry. The mounting bracketry is also utilized to af... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7362237 | Modular rearview mirror assembly A vehicle rearview mirror assembly including a mirror, an electronic component unit, a protective housing exposing the mirror through a viewing aperture and enclosing the electronic component unit, an RF antenna connected to the electronic component unit, and a supp... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7320526 | Portable wide-view mirror for blind-side backing of a semi-tractor trailer A portable wide-view mirror apparatus that allows a driver to see the rear half of the right blind-side of a trailer and right-side obstacles during a right blind-side backing maneuver. Generally, a notebook-like design wherein the mirror opens up from the attached ... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7097314 | Two-in-one wide angle automobile mirror A mirror device for use inside a vehicle which includes a front seating area, a rear seating area, a sun visor within the front seating area, and a rear seat within the rear seating area. The rear seat has a top surface. The mirror device includes a mirror having a ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7080911 | Combination mirror mount and headlight visor for cross view or spot mirror A combination mirror mount and headlight glare visor that reduces headlight glare to the driver without changing the mirror height or mounting locations. The combination mirror mount and headlight glare visor maintains the field of vision requirements of FMVSS 111 f... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7037555 | Method of manufacturing a glazing panel A method of manufacturing a glazing panel having a solar factor (FS) of less than 70% and being composed of a vitreous substrate and a tin/antimony oxide coating layer provided on the vitreous substrate and having a Sb/Sn molar ratio ranging from 0.01 to 0.5, prefer... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7035678 | Modular rearview mirror assembly including an electronic control module A modular rearview mirror assembly for vehicles incorporates a housing into the mirror assembly case for supporting an electronic control module to reduce the vibration, to ease the installation of the components in the mirror assembly, and to improve access to the ... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7001029 | Rearview mirror assembly A rearview mirror assembly includes first and second sections each adapted to extend over about one half a length of a vehicle windshield. The first and second sections each include a housing, a mirror disposed in the housing, and a pull-down visor disposed in the h... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6970073 | Vehicular rearview mirror system with microcontroller A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror system having an electrochromic reflective element, a digital electrochromic drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the reflective element and a garage door opener. The garage door opener inc... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6953253 | Vehicle photosensing control system A vehicle photosensing system includes a photosensor array that is disposed within the interior cabin of the vehicle and having a field of view forward through the windshield of the vehicle. The photosensing system further providing a control for either controlling ... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6926416 | Multi-view visor mirror The present invention provides a multi-view mirror having a mirror frame including an inwardly disposed center and two outwardly disposed mirror mounting elements attached to the frame on opposite sides of the center. The multi-view mirror includes a first mirror ha... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6918674 | Vehicle rearview mirror system A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sen... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6904348 | Vehicular control system A vehicular control system comprises a rearview mirror assembly and a microcontroller. The rearview mirror assembly comprises a housing and a variable reflectivity electro-optic mirror element. The microcontroller is operable to control the reflectivity of the varia... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6871967 | Solid type EC element and process for producing the same A solid type EC element having a substrate; a lower electrode layer formed on the substrate; an EC layer formed on the lower electrode layer; and an upper electrode layer formed on the EC layer is disclosed in which coloring regions having a complicated shape can ea... | 03/29/2005 |
| 6863405 | Automatic dimming mirror using semiconductor glare sensor An automatically dimming mirror includes a dimming element having variable reflectivity, the degree of reflectivity based on a control signal. An ambient light sensor is positioned to receive light from a region generally in front of the vehicle. The ambient light s... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6802617 | Vehicle image capture system A system apparatus, means and method for controlling a plurality of variable reflectance mirrors (or mirror segments), including a rearview mirror and side view mirrors, which change their reflectance level in response to a plurality of drive voltages applied theret... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6789906 | Electrochromic device having a self-cleaning hydrophilic coating An electrochromic device is disclosed having a self-cleaning, hydrophilic optical coating. The electrochromic device preferably forms an external rearview mirror for a vehicle The coating preferably includes alternating layers of a photocatalytic material having a h... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6773122 | Optical film containing anti-glare layer and image display apparatus using the same An optical film containing an anti-glare layer having irregularities on a surface thereof, wherein the irregularities are arranged such that the value of NN determined by the sequence of the following steps is 1,000 or less: dividing the irregular surface of the opt... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6755542 | Automatic dimming mirror using semiconductor light sensor with integral charge collection An automatically dimming mirror includes a dimming element having variable reflectivity, the degree of reflectivity based on a control signal. An ambient light sensor is positioned to receive light from a region generally in front of the vehicle. The ambient light s... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6742904 | Vehicle equipment control with semiconductor light sensors 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... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6679608 | Sensor device having an integral anamorphic lens The inventive sensor device provides different fields of view in transverse directions. The sensor device include a support structure, a sensing element mounted on the support substrate for sensing optical radiation and generating an electrical output sig... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6523964 | Vehicle control system and method A system apparatus, means and method for controlling a plurality of variable reflectance mirrors (or mirror segments), including a rearview mirror and side view mirrors, which change their reflectance level in response to a plurality of drive voltages app... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6515378 | Vehicle rearview mirror system A vehicle rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly, at least one control and, preferably, at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes an interior... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6505942 | Anti-reflection material, polarization film, and production methods therefor The present invention provides an anti-reflection material, and a polarization film employing the anti-reflection material, having superior anti-glare properties, anti-reflection properties, and anti-static properties. In the anti-reflection material, an ... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6471360 | Switchable electrochromic devices with uniform switching and preferential area shading An electrochromic window assembly includes: a first transparent substrate having a first conductive coating on a surface thereof; a second transparent substrate having a second conductive coating on a surface thereof, the first transparent substrate and t... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6447123 | Electrochromic device having a self-cleaning hydrophilic coating An electrochromic device is disclosed having a self-cleaning, hydrophilic optical coating. The electrochromic device preferably forms an external rearview mirror for a vehicle. The coating preferably includes alternating layers of a photocatalytic materia... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6443579 | Field-of-view controlling arrangements A field-of-view controlling arrangement such as a privacy screen includes a single microprism or lenticular sheet having a plurality of sets of parallel surfaces that intersect to form prisms or lenticular structures, and in which field-of-view control is... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6431712 | Automotive rearview mirror assembly including a helical antenna with a non-circular cross-section An automotive mirror includes a mirror element, a housing for accepting and retaining the mirror element and a receiver circuit mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) contained within the housing. The receiver circuit includes a helical antenna with a s... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6419366 | Image display device An image display device is provided which comprises an antiglare surface having unevenness and pixels having a minimum pixel pitch (a) of about 10 to about 100 μm, wherein a ratio (Sm/a) of an average spacing of roughness peak (Sm) of said unevenness to ... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6402328 | Automatic dimming mirror using semiconductor light sensor with integral charge collection Automatically dimming rearview mirrors allow a vehicle operator to view a scene generally behind the operator at a reflectivity level automatically adjusted to ambient light and glare levels. An automatically dimming mirror includes a dimming element havi... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6394614 | Vehicle automatic anti-glare device A vehicle automatic anti-glare device comprises a LCD panel having a function of being converted into a "non-light filtering" mode from a "light filtering" mode as voltage is applied thereon; a reflection film installed at a back side of said LCD panel, w... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6379013 | Vehicle equipment control with semiconductor light sensors Equipment on automotive vehicle (20) is controlled by a system at least one semiconductor light sensor (170, 170') having variable sensitivity to light. Each light sensor generates a light signal (164) indicative of the intensity of light incident on the ... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6364494 | Remotely adjustable anti-glare vehicle mirror system with automatic features This single-actuator-and-cam, remotely adjustable, exterior vehicle rear-view mirror provides a glare-free rear view, by switching between a high-reflectivity position and a low-reflectivity position at the same view adjustment. Exterior rear-view mirrors... | 04/02/2002 |
| 6355920 | Light-responsive vehicle control such as an electro-optic rearview mirror system that is adaptive to vehicle configuration An adaptive light-responsive vehicle control, such as an electro-optic rearview mirror system, and a method of adapting a light-responsive vehicle control to a vehicle which accommodates variations in vehicle configuration includes providing at least one ... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6291905 | Vehicle rearview mirror and a vehicle control system incorporating such mirror A vehicle control system comprises an industry standard CAN network with a number of nodes distributed around the vehicle for controlling corresponding parts of the vehicle. One such node is located in the housing of the vehicle interior rearview mirror a... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6273573 | Display window A method for producing a display window for a communication device covering a display element. The method includes the steps of providing a moulding tool with a matt surface structure, injecting fluid plastics, and cooling of the injected plastics and rel... | 08/14/2001 |
