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 |
| 8182141 | Method and circuit for providing distributed temperature sensing in an integrated circuit In one embodiment, an integrated circuit for providing distributed temperature sensing is disclosed. For example, the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of circuit components, an internal temperature sensing device deployed among the plurality of circuit compo... | 05/22/2012 |
| 7845848 | Temperature sensor and extensometer for electrical power cables A thermometer and extensometer for cables and conductors is described. The travel time of one or more acoustic signals along a conductor is used to determine the temperature along the conductor and the length of the conductor. The acoustic frequency is selected to m... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7845847 | Temperature sensor and extensometer for electrical power cables A thermometer and extensometer for cables and conductors is described. The travel time of one or more acoustic signals along a conductor is used to determine the temperature along the conductor and the length of the conductor. The acoustic frequency is selected to m... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7726875 | Methods and apparatus for monitoring a condition of a material Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for monitoring a condition of a material are disclosed. In particular, the example apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture emit a first acoustic signal into a wall of the tubular member having a first temperatu... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7708461 | Temperature determination of an away-facing surface of an object A method for determining the temperature of an away-facing surface of an object, wherein at least one ultrasonic pulse is transmitted through a surface of the object facing a transmitter/receiver unit into said object; the at least one ultrasonic pulse is reflected ... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7575371 | Temperature sensor and extensometer A thermometer and extensometer for cables and conductors is described. The travel time of one or more acoustic signals along a conductor is used to determine the temperature along the conductor and the length of the conductor. The acoustic frequency is selected to m... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7481577 | Ultrasound transducer fault measurement method and system Ultrasound transducer temperatures are measured in response to a temperature dependent property of the ultrasound transducer. The temperature is measured without addition of new electronics or hardware retrofits of the transducer. By implementing software and/or har... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7438684 | Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for controlling the surface temperature of a probe A technology is disclosed for holding the test subject contact surface temperature below a predetermined value without providing a temperature sensor or setting ultrasonic wave output excessively low and, according to this technology, reflex time t1, which pa... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7434988 | Low pressure acoustic pyrometer signal generator An acoustic pyrometer measures the average gas temperature across a space of known distance, especially turbulent, high temperature gas loaded with caustic particulates. It includes an acoustic signal generator that generates a high amplitude acoustic signal with a ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7434989 | SAW temperature sensor and system A temperature measurement system is characterized by at least one passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor. The sensor includes at least one piezoelectric substrate having an interdigital SAW transducer disposed upon the piezoelectric substrate for con... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7404671 | Dynamic acoustic thermometer Acoustic temperature measurement at a remote location is provided. An acoustic source transmits acoustic radiation to an acoustic receiver along an acoustic path. The path passes through or near the remote location. The temperature is non-uniform along the path. A c... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7376522 | Method and system for determining the direction of fluid flow In an exemplary implementation of a method and system for determining the direction of fluid flow, one or more sound transducers are positioned in proximity to a conduit, each such sound transducer generating a signal representative of a selected characteristic of a... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7356438 | Method and device for temperature monitoring along a measuring line The present invention relates to a registering device for registering a location along a measuring line, at which location a temperature change takes place. In an advantageous way, according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by means of the FMCW ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7355819 | Machining actuator periphery to reduce resonance variation A method of manufacturing a disc drive actuator is provided. The method includes manufacturing a disc drive actuator and machining a peripheral surface of the actuator. The peripheral surface is machined to obtain a desired profile dimension and thereby reduce varia... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7338446 | Method and apparatus for controlling power in an ultrasound system Methods and systems for controlling an ultrasound system are provided. The method includes receiving scanning information from an ultrasound system, with the scanning information including at least one of image information and spectral information. The method furthe... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7287537 | Megasonic probe energy director A megasonic cleaning apparatus configured to provide effective cleaning of a substrate without causing damage to the substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a megasonic probe, a transducer configured to energize the probe, and a heat transfer element disposed ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7266989 | Sensor system for high-precision measurements of temperature, composition, and/or pressure of a fluid A sensor system immersible in an ambient-fluid for sensing at least two conditions of the ambient fluid, includes a sealed chamber filled with a reference fluid of a known composition and/or pressure, and two acoustic transmission channels, one including the referen... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7156551 | Ultrasound transducer fault measurement method and system Ultrasound transducer temperatures are measured in response to a temperature dependent property of the ultrasound transducer. The temperature is measured without addition of new electronics or hardware retrofits of the transducer. By implementing software and/or har... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7017412 | Continuous wave ultrasonic process monitor for polymer processing An injection molding apparatus is disclosed that includes an injection mold, a mold injector, and means for monitoring the injection mold process using acoustic energy. The injection mold includes a cavity for receiving an injection mold material, such as a polymer ... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6960019 | Fiber optic temperature monitoring method A method of monitoring a temperature condition includes inputting a light pulse into a fiber optic cable and receiving a reflection signal that arises from said input light pulse in said fiber optic cable. A temperature condition along the fiber optic cable and a lo... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6945692 | Fiber optic temperature monitoring system A system for monitoring a temperature condition includes a fiber optic cable, a light emitting device coupled to the fiber optic cable and configured to input a light pulse into the fiber optic cable, and an optical receiver coupled to the fiber optic cable and conf... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6837109 | Material thickness measurement method and apparatus Longitudinal and shear ultrasonic waves are generated inside a material by irradiating a laser beam onto a first surface, e.g., incident surface, of the material. An ultrasonic longitudinal wave and a mode converted wave reflected by a second surface, e.g., a bottom... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6789426 | Microfluidic channels with integrated ultrasonic transducers for temperature measurement and method There is described a method and apparatus for measuring temperature of a fluid in a microchannel of the type having spaced walls. An ultrasonic transducer transmits ultrasonic waves transmitted from one wall to the opposite wall. A processor determines the time-of-f... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6764215 | Method, a measuring cell and a system for measuring very small heat changes in a sample The present invention relates to a method, a measuring cell and a system for measuring very small heat changes in a sample. The system comprises a measuring cell 16 for containing the sample during the measurement process, at least one electromagnetic radiati... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6726359 | Apparatus and method of detecting the room temperature by means of sound waves An apparatus for detecting the temperature of a room (2) includes means (4) for generating and receiving sound waves, means (5) for determining the transit time of the sound waves for a certain distance (x) in the room (2) and means (1... | 04/27/2004 |
| 6517240 | Ultrasonic thermometer system The ultrasonic thermometer system of the present invention includes a rod or probe of high temperature, grain-stabilized material that has a magnetostrictive or piezoelectric transducer bonded to one end. The transducer is excited by a transducer driver, ... | 02/11/2003 |
| 6481287 | Fluid temperature measurement An acoustic temperature measurement system for pipeline fluids comprises a loudspeaker (16) with spaced microphone (18) in a sealed pipe (10) with end cap (11). A computer arrangement (22) provides a tone burst signal which drives the speaker via power am... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6296385 | Apparatus and method for high temperature viscosity and temperature measurements A probe for measuring the viscosity and/or temperature of high temperature liquids, such as molten metals, glass and similar materials comprises a rod which is an acoustical waveguide through which a transducer emits an ultrasonic signal through one end o... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6269700 | Contactless ultrasonic device for dimensional inspection An acoustic detector which includes at least one emitter unit with a solid tapered profile spike (C) associated with an element (X) for exciting the spike so as to propagate ultrasound waves in an antisymmetrical propagation mode in the spike. The device ... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6112595 | Apparatus and method for characterizing semiconductor wafers during processing An apparatus and method are disclosed for characterizing semiconductor wafers or other test objects that can support acoustic waves. Source and receiving transducers are configured in various arrangements to respectively excite and detect acoustic waves (... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6026688 | Ultrasonic photoresist process monitor and method There is provided a monitor and method for monitoring the condition of a photoresist film on a wafer during baking in which the phase of high frequency ultrasonic pulses reflected from the wafer/photoresist interface provides an indication of the conditio... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5996415 | Apparatus and method for characterizing semiconductor wafers during processing An apparatus and method are disclosed for characterizing semiconductor wafers or other test objects that can support acoustic waves. Source and receiving transducers are configured in various arrangements to respectively excite and detect acoustic waves (... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5951163 | Ultrasonic sensors for on-line monitoring of castings and molding processes at elevated temperatures Ultrasonic sensors and associated methods for on-line monitoring of material properties for die casting, molding and extrusion processes at elevated temperatures are disclosed. The sensors include the use of ultrasonic waveguides embedded in the processin... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5624188 | Acoustic thermometer A thermometer using the temperature dependance of the speed of sound, measures the average temperature along a path traversing an open environment containing a medium. A transmitting transducer, coupled to a signal generator and placed at a first point in... | 04/29/1997 |
| 5604592 | Laser ultrasonics-based material analysis system and method using matched filter processing Disclosed herein is an interferometric-based materials analysis system (10) that employs a novel combination of laser beam shaping and pointing techniques, the use of a low cost, rugged, and compact diode laser (22) as a detection laser, and the use of si... | 02/18/1997 |
| 5469742 | Acoustic temperature and film thickness monitor and method An acoustic temperature and/or film thickness monitoring system for semiconductor wafers in which the velocity of acoustic waves in the wafer is employed to measure temperature and/or thickness.... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5437506 | System for measuring the transfer time of a sound-wave in a gas and thereby calculating the temperature of the gas A system for measuring the "time of flight" or transfer time of a sound wave in a gas by using the relation between the gas temperature and the velocity of the sound wave in the gas, and calculating therefrom the temperature of the gas. The system compris... | 08/01/1995 |
| 5414510 | Method and apparatus for measuring surface movement of an object using a polarizing interfeometer A system for non-destructively measuring an object and controlling industrial processes in response to the measurement is disclosed in which an impulse laser generates a plurality of sound waves over timed increments in an object. A polarizing interferome... | 05/09/1995 |
| 5360268 | Ultrasonic temperature measuring apparatus A temperature measuring apparatus measures the temperature of a medium according to the propagation time of ultrasonic waves propagated for a predetermined distance through the medium. The apparatus has a transmitter 11, 12 for transmitting ultrasonic wav... | 11/01/1994 |
| 5349859 | Method and apparatus for measuring acoustic wave velocity using impulse response The transit time of acoustic waves between a generator and a receiver positioned across a fluid chamber is determined by generating acoustic waves using a self-purging pneumatic sound generator, a transducer adjacent the outlet of the sound generator, and... | 09/27/1994 |
