Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7393134 | Parking meter A parking meter includes a microcontroller and a timer coupled with a microcontroller. A mechanism for accepting payment by coin, credit card or both is coupled with the microcontroller for accepting payment for use of an associated parking space. The microcontrolle... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7273172 | Methods and systems for automating inventory and dispatch procedures at a staging area Methods and systems are provided to automate inventory and dispatch procedures at a staging area by automatically detecting the arrival or departure of delivery vehicles, container devices and other such items. Detection of these items is facilitated by the use of a... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7221289 | System and method for operating a loop detector The temperature of an operator circuit is measured. A relationship between the temperature of the operator circuit and characteristics of the operator circuit is determined. The relationship is applied to the measured temperature of the operator circuit to create an... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7181414 | Electronic toll collection system for toll road An ETC (electronic toll collection) system includes an antenna having a predetermined directivity for providing a limited radio-communication service zone. A vehicle sensor operates for detecting a vehicle which reaches a predetermined position in the limited radio-... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7104447 | Parking meters, systems and methods of parking enforcement Parking meters detect presence of vehicles in monitored parking spaces and obtain images of license plates. A parking enforcement system communicates with the parking meters and manages use of parking spaces. ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7048195 | Electronically expiring device The present invention relates to a method and system for expiring a device after a predetermined time period has elapsed. A device, which contains its own internal time cell, is designed to stop working or self-destruct after a predetermined time period has expired.... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7046123 | Parking meter key chain timer The present invention is a parking time indicator key fob which includes a housing and a timing device contained within the housing for counting down an amount of time. A display is connected to the housing for indicating an amount of time remaining on the timing de... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7029167 | Parking meter A parking meter includes a microcontroller and a timer coupled with a microcontroller. A mechanism for accepting payment by coin, credit card or both is coupled with the microcontroller for accepting payment for use of an associated parking space. The microcontrolle... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7014355 | Electronic parking meter system The field of the present invention is parking meters and more particularly to the use of electronically operated parking meters coupled with a sensor for positively sensing unobtrusively the presence or absence of a vehicle in a specified parking space controlled by... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7002487 | Parking violation surveillance system A parking control surveillance system is provided for monitoring vehicles within parking spaces for providing parking enforcement personnel information concerning authorized and unauthorized vehicles within the parking space. The parking control surveillance system ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6999936 | Electronic ticketing system and methods utilizing multi-service visitor cards A ticketing system and methods that encompass a plurality of entities, such as an event organizer, admission center, service providers and a visitor population, so as to automatically compile, issue, utilize and process ticketing cards for the admission to sporting ... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6946974 | Web-based systems and methods for internet communication of substantially real-time parking data A parking system includes an internet-accessible Web server storing substantially real-time parking data associated with occupancy of a plurality of parking spaces. The parking data can be rendered by a display device running a browser application. The Web server tr... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6929179 | Automated fee collection and parking ticket dispensing machine An automated fee collection and ticket dispensing machine is disclosed that is capable of operating under a variety of operating modes. The machine permits users to purchase a variety of passes. The disclosed machine includes printers to produce receipts or passes f... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6927700 | Method and apparatus for detection and remote notification of vehicle parking space availability data A method and apparatus for providing timely and efficient notification of vehicle parking space availability and locations of vehicle parking spaces to motorists or other network users. Local detector devices sense the presence or absence of a vehicle in a particula... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6914540 | Traffic area signage systems A signage system for a traffic area, the traffic area comprising visually-identifiable boundary markers, the signage system having sign means at the boundary markers, the sign means visually viewable by an occupant of a vehicle adjacent the boundary markers. The sig... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6747575 | Parking meter smart housing with electronic memory The invention is directed to an electronic parking meter and a method of configuring an electronic parking meter. In addition to a meter housing and an electronic metering mechanism within the housing, the parking meter includes a memory positioned within the housin... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6577248 | Vehicle parking control system A parking control system in which a mobile telephone is used to commence and to terminate parking of a vehicle within a parking zone. A parking system user sends a user-specific code to a parking system computer at the commencement of and at the terminati... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6467602 | Electromechanical parking meter door communications interface An electronic security system for a parking meter includes a vault door having a spring-biased contact terminal for making breakable electrical contact with a housing hinge bracket contact terminal mounted in a vault opening. An electronic lock control ci... | 10/22/2002 |
| 6312152 | Electronic module for conventional parking meter An electronic module for enhancing an operation of a conventional parking meter. The electronic module comprises a shell defining a hollow conformation and being attachable to a conventional parking meter, in substitution to an upper housing portion of th... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6275169 | Parking meter A parking meter includes an input device for payment and at least one indicating device for indicating a paid parking time. The indicating device has at least one visual indicator for a corresponding number of parking spaces, wherein an actuating unit wit... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6243029 | Parkulator photo parking The invention is a method of monitoring and assessing a fee for parking a vehicle in a toll parking location where the user pays only for the actual parking time used. The invention includes providing indicia for a toll parking location and unique indicia... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6188328 | Vehicle parking device A parking meter device that is devoted to a separate person or vehicle comprises a housing unit 10 that has an LED 11 that in use is clearly visible from outside the vehicle. The device includes a two-way radio circuit 12, a display 14 and a keyboard 15. ... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6111522 | Multiple electronic purse parking meter A dual processor electronic parking meter (EPM) accepts a plurality of ISO compliant smart cards and authorizes payment of purchased time. The EPM of the invention is equipped with a card reader module (CRM) which accepts/validates transactions effected o... | 08/29/2000 |
| 5966345 | Electronic module for conventional parking meter An electronic module for enhancing an operation of a conventional parking meter. The electronic module comprises a shell defining a hollow conformation and being attachable to a conventional parking meter, in substitution to an upper housing portion of th... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5903520 | Electronic module for conventional parking meter An electronic module for enhancing an operation of a conventional parking meter. The electronic module comprises a shell defining a hollow conformation and being attachable to a conventional parking meter, in substitution to an upper housing portion of th... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5845268 | Parking management system There is disclosed a computer-based parking system for improving the apprehension of parking violators. Such parking system comprises one or more electronic-based parking meters or devices having a means for recognizing and storing electronically informat... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5805083 | Electronic parking meter operating system An electronic parking meter operating system comprising a microprocessor mounted within a meter housing, a semiconductor disc memory having at least 8K memory bytes, and a plurality of programs stored in the disc memory. A meter event such as the deposit ... | 09/08/1998 |
| 5777951 | Parking meter A parking meter includes a microcontroller and a timer coupled with the microcontroller. A mechanism for accepting payment by coin, credit card or both is coupled with the microcontroller for accepting payment for use of an associated parking space. The m... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5732812 | Electrical power control system for parking meter A token operable electronic parking meter 10 is disclosed and claimed. The meter comprises a first power source 18 and a controller 16 for controlling electronic circuity 20, 22 of the parking meter. An interface circuit 14 is connected to the first power... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5710743 | Electronic module for conventional parking meter An electronic module for enhancing an operation of a conventional parking meter. The electronic module comprises a shell defining a hollow conformation and being attachable to a conventional parking meter, in substitution to an upper housing portion of th... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5659306 | Expired parking meter indicator An expired parking meter indicator with electronic components which detect the presence of a vehicle in the parking place. When a vehicle pulls into a parking place a signal is received by the parking meter which after a grace period emits a signal if no ... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5648906 | Networked computerized parking system of networked computerized parking meters and a method of operating said system This invention provides a networked computerized parking system of networked computerized parking meters that are connected via a number of electric-transferring cables to a local power source and via a number of fiber optic network connections to one ano... | 07/15/1997 |
| 5617942 | Low-power multi-bay parking meter A low power parking meter to control two or four parking bays. A display, either by a flag-wheel or a digital display will normally indicate the status of each bay. When funds are deposited without indicating the bay to be credited, the meter will escrow ... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5589812 | Personal meter timing device A portable timing device designed for use in conjunction with metered machinery, the device contained within a compact case with a clip on the back side, allowing the device to be fastened to an article of clothing or the like. The case further includes a... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5528563 | Automatic parking coupon A timer comprising a lamination containing a piece of porous wick material 1, and a reservoir of liquid 6, said liquid 6 and/or said porous wick 1 being such that when the reservoir is opened and the liquid 6 released it soaks into the porous wick 1 to th... | 06/18/1996 |
| 5407049 | Electronic parking meter and system A low-powered electronic parking meter which can be powered solely by non-rechargeable, commercially available batteries. The meter includes a coin receptor with unique means for coin detection, slug detection, determination of coin denomination, and jam ... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5309414 | Simple and portable parking meter A portable parking meter including a main device and at least a sub-device; The body of the main device has two inserting slots for some sub-devices and is provided on the front face thereof with a control panel, the inserting slots are provided with some... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5266947 | Parking data transfer system A parking data transfer system has first and second communications devices. The first communications devices each include a timing device, a first display for displaying a parking time and first transmitter for transmitting a notification when the time me... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5245592 | Wearing time measuring device for a removable medical apparatus A medical apparatus to be worn in the mouth comprises a battery-fed measuring unit (15) including a clock generator (18) and a counter (20) for counting the pulses of the clock generator. Accuracy of the time measurement decisively depends on the precisio... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5241162 | Accounting system for consumable units, with optimized management, notably to account for parking time units Disclosed is a time-accounting system with optimized management. It can be applied, in particular, to accounting for paid or regulated parking times. The aim is to provide a system that enables a protected replacement of card, a management of fractions of... | 08/31/1993 |
