Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7272473 | Methods and systems for analyzing system operator coupling susceptibility Methods for analyzing system operator coupling susceptibility are described herein. In one embodiment, an open loop frequency response can be compared to a related over-steer point. An over-steer point can be the condition where, as operator gain is increased for an... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7207177 | Position control device for an electrical-fluid power drive and a method of positioning A method and a position control device for an electrical-fluid power drive comprising a fluid power and an electrical actuator for driving a force output point. The invention contemplates the following steps: of derivation of a target overall drive force, to be prov... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7047745 | Method for operating a hybrid engine According to a prepared program and the signal from a crank angle sensor, a computer switches two operation modes A and B in which an electric motor operates, and the computer creates a pair or pairs of different operation mode phases during the period from an ignit... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7017348 | Control device for a hybrid vehicle A control device for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including a motor, connected to an engine output shaft, to which an engine output is transmitted, and an automatic transmission, the automatic transmission including an input shaft, connected to the engine ou... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6923696 | Engine starting system for multiple engines A watercraft has multiple engines each having a starting device. A common switch mechanism provides a control device with at least an initiation signal to activate the starting devices, such that all of the engines can be started concurrently in response to operator... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6895754 | Vehicle control system A vehicle control system is capable of precisely estimating an auxiliary machine motive power without increasing a processing load of an engine control means. An engine ECU 13 is provided with a first auxiliary machine motive power estimating section 16 | 05/24/2005 |
| 6872106 | Propulsion unit network A network system using a LAN to provide relative position data for a engine in a plurality of outboard motors attached to a watercraft and using that data to display engine condition information for each engine in the array of engines installed on the watercraft. | 03/29/2005 |
| 6840045 | Compound engine dynamo-electric machine A first exhaust turbo rotary machine is able to assist turbo supercharging by operating as a motor on power generated in a second rotary machine connected to a power axis of an engine. Also, when exhaust energy is large, the first turbo rotary machine operates as a ... | 01/11/2005 |
| 6810669 | Clutch engagement detector and uniaxial combined plant having the detector This invention provides a clutch engagement detecting apparatus, which can accurately detect the state of engagement of a clutch using a helical spline engagement structure, and a single-shaft combined plant having it, and is constructed as follows: If the differenc... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6651436 | Hybrid vehicle control apparatus A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle of the present invention determines whether a brake switch flag F_BKSW is "1" or not (step S101), and in the case where the brake is on ("yes"), obtains a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN by table... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6349545 | Hybrid propulsion system and self-propelled vehicle propelled by this system Hybrid propulsion system comprising an internal-combustion engine (1) rotatably connected to a reversible electrical machine (2), a rechargeable battery (3), an electric driving motor (7), control apparatus (8) commanding first switching device (4, 5) for... | 02/26/2002 |
| 6233943 | Computerized system and method for synchronizing engine speed of a plurality of internal combustion engines Computerized system and method for controlling a plurality of internal combustion engines are provided. The system includes a respective speed sensor coupled to a corresponding engine to supply a respective speed sensor signal indicative of each engine's ... | 05/22/2001 |
| 5628191 | Natural gas expansion plant For expanding highly pressurized natural gas, use is made of a turbo generator (13) having a heat exchanger (12) connected at its upstream side. Heat supply to the heat exchanger (12) is performed by at least one block-type thermal power station (16) comp... | 05/13/1997 |
| 5176213 | Driving force distribution system for hybrid vehicles In a hybrid vehicle in which the front or rear set of wheels is driven by an engine (7) and the other set of wheels is driven by a motor (8), a traveling mode deciding unit (4) is provided with a table for deciding engine throttle opening and motor output... | 01/05/1993 |
| 5165240 | Method for matching engine torques for multiple engine aircraft Disclosed herein is a method of matching engine torques in a power management system having a digital engine control for each of multiple turbine engines. Input data is selected from one source such that each digital engine control utilizes the same set o... | 11/24/1992 |
| 4926628 | Automatic fuel control and engine synchronizer system and apparatus A first computer and a first servo with connecting apparatus are used to drive a first engine throttle. A second servo and a second computer together with second connecting means are used to drive a second engine throttle. In addition, a cross connection ... | 05/22/1990 |
| 4850906 | Engine control panel for a watercraft propelled by a plurality of motors A control panel for a watercraft powered by a plurality of engines wherein the controls for each of the engines is mounted on the same panel. The controls comprise at least a first pair of control elements for controlling separate functions of the engine ... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4805396 | Automatic fuel control and engine synchronizer system and apparatus A first computer and a first servo with connecting apparatus are used to drive a first engine throttle. A second servo and a second computer together with second connecting means are used to drive a second engine throttle. In addition, a cross connection ... | 02/21/1989 |
| 4649708 | Engine synchronizer This invention relates to a modular mechanism and methods for synchronizing the speed of one engine with a reference speed such as another engine particularly as found in boats. A physically limited range of fine tuning is combined with the normal operati... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4585042 | Log debarker A log debarker having a frame, a stator supported by the frame, a rotor journaled in the stator for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the rotor, a rotating mechanism for rotating the rotor about the longitudinal axis, a plurality of debarking tools at... | 04/29/1986 |
| 4537032 | Parallel-stage modular Rankine cycle turbine with improved control The turbine of a Rankine cycle power plant has a plurality of modular units constituting a turbine to which vaporized working fluid from a boiler is supplied in parallel through respective adjustable throttle valves. Exhaust vapor is removed from the modu... | 08/27/1985 |
| 4479357 | Method and apparatus for automatically synchronizing multiple engines An apparatus for synchronizing the operation of one or more slave engines with that of a master engine in which a servomechanism automatically controls the operation of the slave engines to synchronize them with the master engine while each slave engine a... | 10/30/1984 |
| 4442805 | Internal combustion engine provided with a plurality of power units An internal combustion engine comprising a primary engine unit and an auxiliary engine unit, in which the auxiliary engine unit is connected to an output shaft of the primary engine unit under conditions both engine units are balanced in output torque and... | 04/17/1984 |
| 4435961 | Method and apparatus for automatically synchronizing multiple engines An apparatus for synchronizing the operation of one or more slave engines with that of a master engine in which a servomechanism automatically controls the operation of the slave engines to synchronize them with the master engine while each slave engine a... | 03/13/1984 |
| 4412422 | Apparatus and method for controlling a multi-turbine installation The invention is practiced by providing a plurality of turbine-driven systems each producing an output proportional to a respective control signal, means for generating a respective first output signal for each of the turbine-driven systems proportional t... | 11/01/1983 |
| 4271914 | Automatic feed and rotational speed control system of a hydraulic motor operated drill A needle valve placed in series with the hydraulic drill feed motor, and responsive to fluid flow in the hydrualic system subject to the operation of a pressure relief valve therein, causes the thrust to increase and the feed rate to decrease as the drill... | 06/09/1981 |
| 4257234 | Valve arrangement for turbosets In a turboset having a high-pressure turbine stage and at least another turbine stage mounted on foundation supports and largely disposed above a machine floor, the high-pressure turbine stage being connectible to main steam lines, a valve arrangement inc... | 03/24/1981 |
| 4252205 | Vehicle having at least two driven axles A vehicle having at least two driven axles is powered by a gas turbine plant having two separate take-off shafts. One of these is connected to a first driven axle by a mechanical gearing, while the other take-off shaft is connected to a second driven axle... | 02/24/1981 |
| 4185710 | Vehicle having at least two driven axles A vehicle having at least two driven axles is powered by a gas turbine plant having two separate take-off shafts. One of these is connected to a first driven axle by a mechanical gearing, while the other take-off shaft is connected to a second driven axle... | 01/29/1980 |
| 4173870 | Control system and method Disclosed are apparatus and methods for controlling parameters of fluid-driven systems. A control unit of the invention compares an input control signal to a tachometer signal from a fluid-driven turbine to produce a flow signal for controlling the turbin... | 11/13/1979 |
