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 |
| 7835806 | Method for indirect access to controller data using name stored in string tag A controller can process an instruction directed to the controller itself to access data in the memory of the controller dynamically at runtime, where the data can be indirectly accessed by referencing a tag name, associated with the data and a memory space in memor... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7676282 | Compression of servo control logging entries In controlled mechanical hardware, such as servo-controlled hardware, data from the control algorithm is obtained and logged for possible later analysis. Loss-less compression is provided without increasing the size of the storage memory. Instead of continuously sto... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7356627 | Device identification A data handling device capable of operating in a system in which two or more devices are connected by a data bus for the transmission of communications therebetween, the data bus having two or more data lines and the device having: two or more data bus connectors, e... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7320065 | Multithread embedded processor with input/output capability An embedded processor system having a single-chip embedded microprocessor with analog and digital electrical interfaces to external systems. A novel processor core uses pipelined execution of multiple independent or dependent concurrent threads, together with superv... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7283272 | System and method for controlling a remote printer A printer connected to a network prints documents transmitted as portions of E-mail messages sent to the printer from computer systems through a print server. The printing process is controlled by administrative settings stored within the printer and further by keyw... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7257659 | Method for signaling PCI/PCI-X standard hot-plug controller (SHPC) command status According to embodiments of the present invention, indicators on a PCI/PCI-X controlled by a Standard Hot-Plug Controller (SHPC) have non-fifty percent duty cycle blinking patterns that communicate to an operator a particular command being processed, whether the com... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7239968 | Method and apparatus for predicting fan failure A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring and adjusting angular speed or rotational frequency of a fan as well as wear. As a result of being able to monitor the angular speed or rotational frequency of a fan, a prediction of both wear and failure can be mad... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7196487 | Method and system for robot localization and confinement The present invention discloses a system and method for confining a robot to a particular space. The system includes a portable barrier signal transmitter that produces a barrier signal primarily along an axis, and a mobile robot capable of avoiding the barrier sign... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7164966 | Intelligent volumetric module for drink dispenser An intelligent volumetric module for use in metering pressurized syrup to a drink dispenser machine comprises a solenoid driven metering system for controlling liquid flows from a pressurized syrup container and a controller for controlling operation of said solenoi... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7100196 | Device in a system operating with CAN-protocol and in a control and/or supervision system A control supervision system incorporates a digital serial communication and modules that are mutually communicable to this and operate with CAN-protocol. A control desk can be wirelessly connected to one or more modules operating with a signal protocol which does n... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7092790 | Intelligent volumetric module for drink dispenser An intelligent volumetric module for use in metering pressurized syrup to a drink dispenser machine comprises a solenoid driven metering system for controlling liquid flows from a pressurized syrup container and a controller for controlling operation of said solenoi... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7065599 | Multiprocessor systems A server blade is provided with an enclosure. The server blade can be provided with a plurality of processors in the enclosure. The server blade can be configured as a field replaceable unit removably receivable in a carrier of a modular computer system, for example... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7027943 | Method, device, computer-readable storage medium and computer program element for the computer-aided monitoring of a process parameter of a manufacturing process of a physical object In the case of the method for the computer-aided monitoring of process parameters of a manufacturing process of a physical object, object data which identify the physical object are assigned to various hierarchical levels, object data of various hierarchical levels ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6972121 | Advanced control strategies for chlorine dioxide generating processes Chlorine dioxide generating processes of the single vessel type which produce chlorine dioxide of high purity are monitored and controlled by a computer using Advanced Control Strategies for steady, stable operation with optimum chemical usage on the basis of a desi... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6968414 | Monitoring insertion/removal of server blades in a data processing system A system for monitoring server blades includes a cabinet having a plurality of racks configured to receive a server blade. The server blade includes one or more microprocessors, memory, and a service processor all interconnected via one or more busses. The system in... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6948005 | Peripheral device for programmable controller A storage unit stores ranges of devices allocated for each sequence program. A device range checking unit sequentially extracts device notations indicating consecutive areas and commands specifying consecutive devices present in a sequence program, expands devices o... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6915171 | Automatic procedure for locating actuator addresses on a bus system An automatic procedure for locating actuator addresses on a bus system is revealed. The actuators may be identical except for their physical position, and thus their function and address on a bus system that controls and powers the actuators. Because their functions... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6850993 | Peripheral device for programmable controller A storage unit stores ranges of devices allocated for each sequence program. A device range checking unit sequentially extracts device notations indicating consecutive areas and commands specifying consecutive devices present in a sequence program, expands devices o... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6845274 | Communication port control module for lighting systems An improved technique of interfacing a computer lighting device to a control computer is disclosed, wherein a hardware device is interposed between the control computer and the lighting device. The hardware device handles certain functions in hardware, thereby permi... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6838978 | Appliance data collecting system A controller (1) holds appliance data acquired from an appliance (3) regularly and without loss. A display terminal (2) is capable of moving to other rooms through a receptacle and holds the appliance data acquired from the appliance (3).... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6810433 | Peripheral device for programmable controller A storage unit stores ranges of devices allocated for each sequence program. A device range checking unit sequentially extracts device notations indicating consecutive areas and commands specifying consecutive devices present in a sequence program, expands devices o... | 10/26/2004 |
| 6775767 | Method for automatically assigning addresses to the participating units of a bus system A method for automatically assigning addresses in a bus system with a bus, a plurality of participating units connected to the bus and a control device for issuing control signals to the units also coupled to the bus, where each unit comprises an actuator and an act... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6772018 | Control system apparatus and method using a controlled device for manual data entry A system for commissioning a controller accepts a different manual input during each of several different phases of the installation and provides the installer with a different detectable cue during each phase. The installer provides the manual input and then operat... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6738506 | Image processing system for multi-beam inspection An image processing system for use in semiconductor wafer inspection comprises a multiplicity of self-contained image processors for independently performing image cross-correlation and defect detection. The system may also comprise an image normalization engine for... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6725288 | System for transmitting data between a device data area and a variable data area of a memory according to a memory map based on an identifying data of a device detected A controller contains an I/O memory and uses a device detecting service to detect a device connected to it through a network and to obtain its device identifying data. A memory map setting service sets a device data area on the I/O memory according to the obtained d... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6567723 | Program executing method, system and program processing unit for robot A method, system and program processing unit for a robot, by which the safety during execution of a program is improved. The program processing unit comprises a program interpreter, a command rejection device and a command execution device. When the progr... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6560507 | Module classification approach for moving semiconductor wafers in a wafer processing system Each module of a wafer processing system is given a classification. Upon receipt of a command to move the wafer to one of the modules, a sequence enumerating the modules to be visited by the wafer before reaching its destination is created. The modules ar... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6400996 | Adaptive pattern recognition based control system and method An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented fo... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6393329 | Base board, power supply unit and CPU unit mounted thereon in programmable controller system A programmable controller system is disclosed. The system comprises a base board having a plurality of slot, a power supply unit attached to at least one of the slots for supplying power to the base board, a CPU unit attached to at least one of the slots ... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6275739 | Attached logic module technique for control and maintenance in a distributed and networked control system A local area network based control system for model railroad layout control that may be readily modified, upgraded, dynamically reconfigured or expanded with minimum physical or functional interruption to the operation of the model railroad layout. This a... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6192331 | Method for simulating control functions of a control device A method for simulating control functions of a control device, in which a control program code for execution of control functions is stored in a first memory area of a memory belonging to the control device, the control program code including one or more ... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6154680 | Control systems and methods utilizing object oriented hardware elements Computer-based industrial control systems and methods employing object oriented hardware elements. An object oriented hardware element may comprise a processor core coupled one side to a universal real-world interface circuit, and on the other side to an ... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6088624 | Industrial controller with flexible data structures An improvement in an industrial controller having a processor with a memory holding an I/O table used for storing inputs and outputs transmitted between the industrial controller and a controlled process, via multiple I/O devices, uses templates associate... | 07/11/2000 |
| 5963446 | Extended relay ladder logic for programmable logic controllers A digital computer implemented software system is provided for programming industrial logic controllers using a software package of the type utilizing relay ladder logic to represent control programs. The control program is executable by the controller to... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5949673 | Hybrid centralized and distributed industrial controller A pass-through table is developed to work in conjunction with an I/O table of a centralized industrial controller to permit a centralized controller to work seamlessly with a highly distributed control system. The pass-through table indicates data used in... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5596331 | Real-time control sequencer with state matrix logic A high performance, real-time control sequencer is disclosed which incorporates a unique state matrix logic. This real-time control sequencer performs rapid resolution of control processed state transitions and the required control actions as a function o... | 01/21/1997 |
| 5552991 | Control system for an electronic pastage meter having a programmable application specific intergrated circuit The electronic postage meter includes a printing unit which is responsive to a plurality of motors for printing of a postage indicia in response to a control circuit. The control circuit is comprised of a programmable microprocessor in bus communication w... | 09/03/1996 |
| 5483458 | Programmable clock module for postage metering control system The electronic postage meter includes a printing unit which is responsive to a plurality of motors for printing of a postage indicia in response to control circuit. The control circuit is comprised of a programmable microprocessor in bus communication wit... | 01/09/1996 |
| 5467263 | Process for designating a distant functional object in a circuit, and functional units and installation pertaining thereto At one stage of an organization process for a home network, an electrical equipment waits for the designation of another remote electrical equipment in the same network. The waiting equipment transmits a designation request via the network. The electrical... | 11/14/1995 |
| 5455762 | Motor controller having multiple command sources A motor controller receives commands from multiple command sources, the commands having different types, and dynamically allocates an ownership of each command type to a particular command source based on the commands received. In one embodiment, the allo... | 10/03/1995 |
