...that Thomas Edison's patent application on his phonograph was approved by the Patent Office in just seven weeks? In contrast, it took Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, 30 years to obtain his patent -- finally awarded in 1988!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7500175 | Aspects of media content rendering Media content is arranged into a number of sets of video, audio, or data samples, referred to as clips, which are rendered by a media content manager. A playlist, which is handled by a presentation manager, specifies the time-ordered sequence of clips playable to a ... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7353071 | Method and apparatus for authoring and playing back lighting sequences Systems and methods for authoring and playing back lighting programs that include a plurality of lighting sequences for controlling a plurality of lights. One aspect stores the lighting program in a data format that represents a final data stream capable of directly... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7317992 | Method and apparatus for inspecting dovetail edgebreak contour A method and tooling for inspecting a contour of an edge of a cutout formed in a disk, each cutout fixedly receiving a turbine blade. A first device receives the disk containing the cutouts. A second device has a sensor associated with the movement of an instrument,... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7272451 | Programmable logic controller programming system A programming system includes a graphical data entry user interface for a plurality of sequential steps displayed to a user on a monitor. The user selects outputs to be activated for each of the sequential steps and any inputs to be monitored or timer to be enabled ... | 09/18/2007 |
| RE39716 | System and method for creating a controlling device A system and method for creating a controlling device. In response to a user specifying one or more operating criteria for the controlling device, the system selects executable instructions from a library of executable instructions and command code sets from a libra... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7216514 | Cloth washer, dish washer-dryer, and control system of the same The invention provides a cloth washer, a dish washer-dryer and a control system associated therewith, which facilitate establishing of a special operating program. The cloth washer comprises selector means for selecting one of a plurality of basic operating programs... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7130715 | Machining method and machining apparatus In a machining method and a machining apparatus, prior to machining, an NC control unit makes an X-axis drive unit move a table based on examination conditions specified in advance. Thus, the NC control unit obtains a stabilization time required from the command-rea... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7114554 | Controller interface with multiple day programming A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed. The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7110837 | Control system and method for on-line editing of user program A control system includes a programmable controller having a CPU unit that carries out cyclic operations of processes. An additional temporary user memory is provided in addition to a regular user memory. When an on-line editing of a user program is to be carried ou... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7076312 | Integrated electronic signatures for approval of process control and safety system software objects A software object approval system is integrated with a process control or safety system environment and, in particular, with a process control or safety system design environment to implement and manage electronic approval of new software objects created within the ... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7065415 | Method for consistent storage of data in an industrial controller A system and method for employing a file system and file system services on the industrial controller. The file system allows industrial control programs to implement many functions previously performed within the industrial control program and stored in the same me... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7065413 | Method for producing software for controlling mechanisms and technical systems In a method for controlling mechanisms or technical systems, the mechanisms or technical systems to be controlled are stored in a controller with their states, and with associated signal formers of sensors and actuators, whereby starting from a defined reference sta... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7039492 | Numerical control apparatus for machine tool and numerical control method for machine tool A numerical control apparatus for machine tool, includes: an NC program storage portion for storing an NC program; a block skip command detection portion for detecting whether a block skip command for skipping execution of blocks after a position where the block ski... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7039168 | System and method for inventory of and access to recorded announcements A system and method for providing an inventory of and access to recorded announcement data, the method involving collecting switch data from one or more central office switches of a telecommunications network, extracting recorded announcement data from the switch da... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7027880 | Safety controller providing rapid recovery of safety program data Re-certification of a control program loaded in a safety controller is avoided through the use of a digital snapshot and digital signature, the snapshot providing a rapidly loadable memory image file and the signature providing a confirmation that the file loaded ma... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6975909 | Electronic product/service manual An electronic product manual including a plurality of data structures having a hierarchical relationship as components and sub-components with each other. A graphical user interface (GUI) is configured to present the plurality of data structures to a user as display... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6970764 | Machining program producing apparatus An input data check control portion, which compares input data with a decimal point check target word (step 64, 65) and, issues a warning when the input data is the decimal point check target word and the numerical value data of the input data is not given a ... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6931289 | Language structure for autonomous cooperative control system In an autonomous cooperative control system a job description of job steps is drafted in a scripting language and compared to corresponding machine steps associated with each independently controlled machine also drafted in the same scripting language for simple com... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6915176 | Music marking system A method and apparatus that permits a user to electronically make a notation of a recorded music selection that he or she would like to take a later action on. Such later actions might include purchase actions or information gathering actions as well as other action... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6904327 | Integrated control system to control addressable remote devices A multiplexer implemented substantially in the form of software, which enables the multiplexer to be integrated with a supervisory platform into one unit is disclosed. The multiplexer may contain a database which stores a mapping of the address of the devices to the... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6892167 | Real-time data acquisition and storage network A real-time data acquisition and storage network for real-time acquisition and storage of analog and digital data from one or multiple network-connected data sources to one or multiple network-connected storage devices during a data recording session, and precise re... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6871104 | Method for the production of an open-loop control block and said control block With a method for producing the control module, the control module is assembled from a number of program modules which are designed for one basic function in each case. Each program module has an interface of an interface type defined by the respective basic functio... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6839600 | Project organization and dissemination system for machine programming and control systems A project organization and dissemination system for a machine programming and control system includes a project development environment that communicates with a distributed communications system. The project development environment includes project tools for designi... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6829512 | System and method for creating a controlling device A system and method for creating a controlling device. In response to a user specifying one or more operating criteria for the controlling device, the system selects executable instructions from a library of executable instructions and command code sets from a libra... | 12/07/2004 |
| 6826449 | Method for producing natural motions A method to produce natural motions, or self-motion, of animate or inanimate bodies or their parts by the application of pulses at two or more locations on the surface, or inside, of the bodies or their parts. Here, energy is converted into motion in one step. Turn ... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6826432 | Process for programming an automation application A process for programming an automation application program on an automation equipment programming station, including defining several structured type objects each representing an input-output channel of automation equipment, declaring symbolic input-output variable... | 11/30/2004 |
| 6801830 | Operation confirming method and device for industrial machinery An operation confirming method capable of making, in order to enhance an operation program correction efficiency, an operation path at an operation confirming time (teaching mode) identical with that at an actual job time (play mode) as much as possible; and a contr... | 10/05/2004 |
| 6801813 | Method for consistent storage of data in an industrial controller A system and method for employing a file system and file system services on the industrial controller. The file system allows industrial control programs to implement many functions previously performed within the industrial control program and stored in the same me... | 10/05/2004 |
| 6775579 | Flowchart-based control system with active debugging objects A machine programming and control system includes a computer including a processor, memory, a display and a device associated with a process. A flowcharting module executed by the computer generates and edits a flowchart that contains action and decision blocks whic... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6711448 | Setting display apparatus for a programmable controller A setting display apparatus for managing a programmable controller is arranged to enable a display program to be designed easily and efficiently and to reduce the memory capacity for the program. A display program is divided into a frame flow program and a frame for... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6700569 | Reducing the processor operating time for a programmable controller A programmable controller having a processing unit, a screen, a control panel, and signal inputs and outputs, all of which are accommodated in a common housing. Switching functions can be programmed by the user via a menu-driven user interface on the scre... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6694199 | Automatic programming apparatus and storage medium for storing graphic data generating program An automatic programming apparatus wherein respective planes constituting a solid input from a two-dimensional three-side view drawing are displayed on a screen. When a reference plane and a butting plane are specified within the respective planes, a temp... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6684128 | Robot and method of controlling the robot A robot capable of being operated at a high-speed by the full use of a power of a servo-motor, including a motor and a speed reducer, wherein the motor drives the robot through the speed reducer, and the speed reducer is a variable speed reducer capable o... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6618635 | Programming apparatus A programming apparatus having an arrangement for formulating an automating task to be performed in the form of a programming language for automating apparatuses is described, which simplifies a process error analysis for an analysis unit. For this purpos... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6609038 | Multi-media enhanced program controlled machine A program controlled machine wherein signals produced in response to execution of programs control operation of machine devices includes a control for storage, retrieval and presentation of audio/video information. The control includes devices for present... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6532401 | Methods for automatically verifying the performance of a virtual robot In an automated interface program designed to interact and communicate with users, said program executing actions when a category among a predefined set of categories is activated, a method is disclosed for automatically verifying the performance of said ... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6505087 | Modular system and architecture for device control An architecture and electric system for controlling various devices is disclosed. The system uses modular, interchangeable components that can perform one or several tasks, such as interacting with a human user, controlling an external device, communicati... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6496741 | Static/dynamic control for optimizing a useful objective A method, computer system, and program product for optimizing a useful objective function with respect to a dynamic parameter vector and a static parameter vector. The method, called the static/dynamic control (MDC) method, either minimizes or maximizes t... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6490491 | Method and device for programming a controller, in particular in a motor vehicle A method for programming a controller, in particular in a motor vehicle, which is switched from the operating mode to the programming mode by a signal which is supplied externally to the controller. In a method which ensures adequate protection against un... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6463358 | Robot control device having operation route simulation function A robot controller capable of finding a mistaught path and avoiding dangers involved in a real motion of a robot without using an off-line simulation system. An operation program for confirming safety is played back with the robot control system arranged ... | 10/08/2002 |