Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8184980 | Method and system for fiber-optic monitoring of spatially distributed components A system for monitoring ancillary elements of an electric power distribution network, includes an optical fiber path associated with the ancillary elements to be monitored, respective optical branches branching from the optical fiber path, wherein each optical branc... | 05/22/2012 |
| 7480460 | Dynamic strain distributed fiber optic sensor A distributed fiber optic sensor simultaneously interrogates the sensing fiber with two counter propagating light beams. One beam is set to a constant frequency. The second beam is modified to contain a “comb” of frequencies, with each frequency component in the... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7394982 | Current sensing system A current sensing system comprises a current transformer; a burden resistor connected across a secondary of the current transformer; a piezo-optic sensor coupled to the burden resistor, comprising a piezoelectric transducer, an optical fiber and a first optical filt... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7376351 | Data communications system and method for communication between infrared devices A data communication system for facilitating communication between infrared devices having an initiating optical interface port that includes an IR emitter and an optical sensor. A receiving optical interface port includes an active IR emitter that emits a pulse at ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7366419 | Spatial transmit/receive isolation method for optical communication systems Apparatus, and a corresponding method, for spatially isolating a transmit beam and a receive beam, which, in satellite communication systems, are inherently separated by a look ahead angle. A receive beam separation mirror is positioned in the receive beam path but ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7342707 | Indicators and illuminators using a semiconductor radiation emitter package A vehicle lamp assembly includes a housing and an LED lamp carried in the housing. A signal mirror includes a mirror and an LED lamp. The LED lamp includes a heat extraction member. ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7342482 | Communication controller for an active transponder A method for processing of encoded information by a battery-powered active transponder is disclosed for the application within a transponder system for the wireless payment of road toll having the steps of receiving modulated microwave radiation of preset frequency ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7324040 | Method of automatically setting the gain of an interrogator receiver within a non-contacting identification system An attack is activated in a receiver amplifier of an interrogator whenever an amplified input signal exceeds an attack threshold voltage value Vatt, and the receiver amplifier at least during a waiting period, the length of which preferrably equals the double length... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7308202 | Secure covert combat identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system for the dismounted soldier A combat IFF system, for use in a combat exercise or on the battlefield, including a helmet-mounted passive IFF response unit and a weapon-mounted IFF interrogatory unit for each soldier. Infrared (IR) signals are employed for both challenge and response. The IR res... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7289732 | Broadcast/communication unified passive optical network system Disclosed is a broadcast/communication unified passive optical network system. The network system comprises: an optical line termination that time-division multiplexes the received digital broadcast signals, receives communication signals through the internet, and w... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7184670 | Telemetry system and method for acoustic arrays A telemetry system includes a plurality of acoustic sensors for receiving acoustic information and generating analog signals based on the received acoustic information. A first plurality of subsystems is coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of acoustic sens... | 02/27/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7167237 | Test system for optical line which carries out fault search for optical line from user optical terminal side A fault searching system searches for a fault in an optical line connected with an optical fiber carrying out data transmission between a transmission apparatus and a user optical terminal. A connecting unit detaches a terminal portion of the optical line at the use... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7162157 | Method and transceiver for through-air optical communications A transceiver for a through-air optical communications system and the related method for transmitting signals through air by utilizing coherent light beams. The transceiver according to the invention comprises a receiving reflecting surface to properly reflect the c... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7139488 | Optical communication unit An optical communication unit has a pair of cable-side communication units provided for a full duplex communication system connected to each other with a pair of optical fiber cables, has apparatus-side communication units provided for full duplex communication syst... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7113095 | Trackable files and systems for using the same A system for tracking files at a site having a plurality of locations includes a plurality of antenna arrays and a plurality of files. Each of the antenna arrays generates an energizing field and is disposed at or near one of the locations. Each of the files include... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7053775 | RFID material tracking method and apparatus A method and apparatus for tracking items automatically is described. A passive RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag is used with a material tracking system capable of real-time pinpoint location and identification of thousands of items in production and storag... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7050547 | Digital loop carrier module for proactive maintenance application Methods and systems for proactively maintaining Digital Loop Carriers and a telephone system local loop. One embodiment for proactively maintaining a Digital Loop Carrier in a telephone system local loop includes communicating with a communications network and acqui... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7030578 | Method for controlling and regulating the operation of an actuator The method makes it possible to control and monitor the dynamic operation operation of an actuator intended to drive a movable element of a building protection installation. The actuator is associated with nearby controlling means comprising a power supply device or... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7027736 | Addressable system for light fixture modules An addressable system for light fixtures is described wherein a plurality of light fixture modules is individually or collectively addressable for programming by remote control. The remote control may individually select each of the track control modules through vis... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7024119 | Addressable light fixture module An addressable light fixture is described wherein a light fixture module is individually addressable for programming by remote control. The remote control may individually select each light fixture module through visible and narrowly defined selected light followed ... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6985069 | Remote control with status indicator A remote control for controlling consumer electronic devices and/or PC's. The remote control including a progress/status indicator for indicating the status of a download process or the status of an e-wallet. ... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6980093 | Commercial vehicle electronic screening hardware/software system with primary and secondary sensor sets A primary set of sensors is situated along a highway approaching a weighing/inspection station, and a secondary set of sensors is situated along a ramp that is traversed by vehicles exiting the highway into a weighing/inspection station. The secondary sensors use ve... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6960776 | IR diode based high intensity light The present invention is directed to an infrared light assembly (10, 30, 80, 90). A preferred embodiment of the light assembly (10, 30, 80, 90) may be used on aircraft or other vehicles for landing, taxi mode, or search operations. The light assembly (... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6933685 | Method and apparatus for controlling lighting based on user behavior A lighting controller is disclosed that automatically adjusts a lighting device based on user activity. The disclosed lighting controller processes at least one of audio and video information to identify predefined user events that suggest that a lighting device sho... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6791467 | Adaptive remote controller A method and system for the remote controlling of appliances includes an adaptive remote controller that adapts itself automatically to its environment so as to remotely control a plurality of appliances. The adaptive remote controller is RF based and has the capabi... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6664915 | Identification friend or foe system including short range UV shield An identification friend or foe system for use by a weapon to determine whether a target that has been selected is a friendly target comprises a signal source attached to the target and arranged to radiate encrypted signals. A detection system attached to... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6650804 | Optical switch for reciprocal traffic A reduced component optical switch module includes a plurality of ports wherein each port includes an optical input and an optical output. A plurality of switchable deflectors in combination with a plurality of non-switchable deflectors can be used to est... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6356208 | Structure for a car sensing infrared communication device placed over a lane of a freeway A structure for an infrared ray communication device placed over a lane which encloses a wireless infrared communication device and includes an upper cover for an attachment lens, an attachment lens, a rain shield, a light guiding device, a fixed support ... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6097330 | Optical friendly fire avoidance system A friendly fire avoidance system employing a two-way communications system using the transmission and the receipt of optical pulses to enable a first concentration of ground troops to identify a second, unidentified concentration of ground troops as frien... | 08/01/2000 |
| 6091527 | Communications device having an optical bus, and a method for controlling its operation An electronic communications device contains at least two modules (7, 8) which are connected to one another via an optical bus (4). In an energy-saving mode, each of the modules (7, 8) is switched to receive with a sampling period (P) which is the same fo... | 07/18/2000 |
| 5969835 | Automated infrared test signal generator An automated signal generator apparatus allows testing of remotely-controlled electronic devices to verify functionality and reliability, or for product set-up, initialization or configuration. The apparatus simulates a person pressing the keys on a remot... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5966227 | Active cooperative tuned identification friend or foe (ACTIFF) An optical identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system for vehicles comprises an active cooperative identification friend-or-foe (ACTIFF) system wherein a responder optical head is located on each friendly vehicle. That responder optical head comprises a nu... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5966226 | Combat communication system The combat communication system is used for "identification friend or foe", firing simulation during practice, and/or combat aiming for live night shooting. Each participant wears a harness comprising light detectors and control units, as well as a laser ... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5959531 | Optical interface between receiver and tag response signal analyzer in RFID system for detecting low power resonant tags Noise reduction schemes are provided in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system for use with RFID intelligent tags. Fiber optics are used to communicate analog tag response signals from the output of the receiver circuit to the input of a tag respo... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5945921 | Apparatus and method for confirming remote control command response A remote control command response confirming apparatus which includes a remote control command reception device for performing an operation corresponding to a received command signal in response to reception of a first remote control command signal, and f... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5892221 | Combat simulation method and system utilizing lasers with wireless activation A combat simulation system to be used with models of weapons platforms to simulate firing and target "hits", and to register the firing and the hits, including a remote control, operated by a user, for activating a source of coherent electromagnetic radia... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5870215 | Covert selective acquisition device for identifying friend or foe A compact infrared identification and communication assembly, including a transponder device and at least one interrogator device, is provided. Each device includes a housing having an opening therein through which light may be received or emitted. The op... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5867292 | Method and apparatus for cordless infrared communication An infrared (IR) communication system is described in which a base unit for a cell can communicate with a plurality of infrared portable devices through distributed infrared receiver/transmitter (RT) modules over a plurality of channels using IR carrier s... | 02/02/1999 |
| 5831551 | System for traffic information acquisition in vehicles The invention concerns traffic information acquisition systems for vehicles, which systems have a first opto-electrical transceiver on the vehicle side and a second opto-electrical transceiver provided at predetermined locations in traffic lanes. The firs... | 11/03/1998 |
