Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| RE41809 | Automatic mattress selection system A person shopping for a mattress is helped to select a physiologically suitable mattress by a system which uses a questionnaire to elicit important information from the person. The questionnaire is processed automatically to generate a recommendation of which availa... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7343262 | Self-propelled harvesting machine and operating method therefor A method of operating a self-propelled harvesting machine includes continuously separating a crop-material flow into a useful-material flow and a remaining-material flow, in a separating step of the machine, capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow f... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7317393 | Object tracking method and system with object identification and verification A system and method for tracking and controlling access to objects such as keys includes a lockable storage cabinet adapted to receive, store, and dispense objects within transparent security containers. A control computer is operably coupled to the cabinet. Informa... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7257503 | Method for recalibrating a material attribute monitor for a mobile vehicle A method for recalibrating a material attribute monitor for a mobile vehicle includes accumulating an aggregate amount of material from a plurality of material transfers; accumulating a plurality of material attribute data sets via a series of data transfers from at... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7250865 | Object tracking system with non-contact object detection and identification An object tracking system is provided for tracking the removal of objects from a location and the replacement of the objects at the location. The system includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to each of the objects to be tracked and each tag h... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7248988 | System and method for reducing temperature variation during burn in Systems and methods for reducing temperature variation during burn-in testing. In one embodiment, power consumed by an integrated circuit under test is measured. An ambient temperature associated with the integrated circuit is measured. A desired junction temperatur... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7158916 | Method for analyzing net weights of packaged goods A method for analyzing the net weight of packaged goods includes obtaining a sample lot having one or more samples of the packaged goods and recording a stated net weight value for each sample. A gross weight value for each of the samples is then measured. Further, ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7124007 | System for monitoring the interior of a vehicle The invention relates to a system for monitoring the interior of a vehicle, wherein changes occurring in the occupancy of a seat, e.g. with a person P, a child seat K, an empty seat L, or an occupancy in another occupancy category, are effected in a computer unit by... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7064281 | Combination weighing device A combinational measuring device is provided with a radiation feeder transporting objects and a measuring hopper measuring the weight of each group of objects transported by the radiation feeder. As to each measuring hopper performing introduction by a prescribed fr... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7053759 | Method of determining an equivalent value for a failed sensor in a vehicle seat having an occupancy sensing system A method of determining an equivalent output value for a failed sensor in a vehicle seat having an occupancy sensing system. The method includes the steps of sensing the output of each sensor in an array of sensors that detect a physical presence in the seat. If the... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7046145 | Object carriers for an object control and tracking system Object carriers are provided for use with an object tracking and control system of the type having a storage receptacle with a tray provided with an array of slots for receiving ID tags bearing touch memory devices. A computer-based controller is provided for detect... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7034670 | Method of occupancy classification in a vehicle seat A method of recognizing and classifying the occupancy in a vehicle seat having an occupancy sensing system, including the steps of sensing the output of an array of sensors that detect a physical presence in a seat and applying the sensor array output as a vector re... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7005984 | Object carriers for an object control and tracking system Object carriers are provided for use with an object tracking and control system of the type having a storage receptacle with a tray provided with an array of slots for receiving ID tags bearing touch memory devices. A computer-based controller is provided for detect... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6990425 | Automatic mattress selection system A person shopping for a mattress is helped to select a physiologically suitable mattress by a system which uses a questionnaire to elicit important information from the person. The questionnaire is processed automatically to generate a recommendation of which availa... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6985828 | Loading-assisting apparatus for use with centrifuge A loading-assisting apparatus for use with a centrifuge is provided with a measuring device configured to measure the weight of each of the object processing groups, a detector device configured to detect a difference between the weight of each of the object process... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6983217 | Mapping techniques A method of establishing yield and moisture content maps involves the continuous recording of yield of moisture content of a harvested crop, as a harvesting machine traverses a field. The recorded yield or moisture content is associated with data from a positioning ... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6950758 | Systems and methods for forming data storage devices Systems for assembling wafer stacks are provided. An embodiment of the system includes a vacuum chamber, a media deposition component and a wafer stack assembly component. The media deposition component is arranged within the vacuum chamber and is configured to depo... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6820020 | Method of determining magnitude of sensing current for electromagnetic transducer A first resistance value of an electromagnetic transducer is calculated based on an examination current of a first current value. A second resistance value of the electromagnetic transducer is calculated based on the examination current of a second current value dif... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6741950 | Automatic mattress selection system A mattress selection system comprises a test bed including a box spring and a compartmented air mattress which generates electrical outputs indicative of the weight distribution of a subject. The sensor outputs are processed automatically, in conjunction with answer... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6714889 | Production instruction volume decision support method and program therefor A production instruction volume decision support method comprising the steps of: creating a plurality of sets of amount of the production order; obtaining a plurality of evaluation values based on simulation of demand for each product; obtaining a superiority relati... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6675109 | Systems and methods for forming data storage devices Systems for assembling wafer stacks are provided. An embodiment of the system includes a vacuum chamber, a media deposition component and a wafer stack assembly component. The media deposition component is arranged within the vacuum chamber and is configu... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6584424 | Yield monitoring system for grain harvesting combine A yield monitoring system for a grain harvesting combine includes a volume monitor, a moisture monitor, a test weight monitor, a ground speed monitor, and a computer which receives signals from each monitor and continuously derives harvested grain yield r... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6571192 | Automatic mattress selection system A mattress selection system comprises a test bed including a box spring and a compartmented air mattress which generates electrical outputs indicative of the weight distribution of a subject. The sensor outputs are processed automatically, in conjunction ... | 05/27/2003 |
| 6449582 | Vehicle weight and cargo load determination using tire pressure A method for measuring the weight of a vehicle and/or of its load comprising measuring the temperature and pressure of at least a significant number of tires of said vehicle, a temperature standardized pressure based on a selected standardization temperat... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6188990 | Method and apparatus for monitoring the processing of articles A method and apparatus is provided for monitoring the processing of a group of articles having different properties, for example differing weights and/or quality grades. The method includes the steps of obtaining information about the differing properties... | 02/13/2001 |
| 5654508 | Method of determining a store's physical inventory New physical principles are used to determine the number of inventory goods on a store's display shelves. One principle involves transmitting waves (mechanical, sound or ultrasound) thru an unknown number of goods resting on an insulated plate. Another pr... | 08/05/1997 |
| 4792018 | System for security processing of retailed articles A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes comprises, in one version: (a) a code reader for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code; (b) a conveyor for receipt and tr... | 12/20/1988 |
| 4782454 | Combination weighing device A combination weighing device having a plurality of weighing units for weighing out batches of product successively by combining the contents of some of the weighing units which are selected as suitable, each batch, which is weighed out, having a volume c... | 11/01/1988 |
| 4733363 | Control system for combinatorial weighing or counting apparatus A control system for a combinatorial weighing or counting apparatus includes a main central processing unit for effecting a combinatorial arithmetic operation, and a plurality of individual drive unit central processing units. The drive unit central proce... | 03/22/1988 |
| 4674060 | Method and apparatus for counting currency and for confirming the count of strap currency A scale under microprocessor control weighs each batch of currency. The weight measurement is compared against predetermined stored weight values to determine if the currency being weighed is strap currency or unstrapped currency and to determine the rang... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4661917 | Mixing combinatorial counting and weighing method, and apparatus therefor A mixing combinatorial counting and weighing method and apparatus for packaging a wide variety of articles in a single pack, wherein the numbers or ratio of the candies are designated. Prescribed numbers of the articles, which are high in unit price or la... | 04/28/1987 |
| 4648056 | Floating tare adjustment for continuous conveyor weighing systems A conveyor (10) conveys stacks of newspapers to a weigh station (A). The weigh station produces a digital weight signal which is processed by an electric circuit (B) to determine whether each bundle contains a preselected number of newspapers. A display (... | 03/03/1987 |
| 4642788 | Combinatorial weighing method and apparatus A combinatorial weighing method and apparatus wherein a value serving as a target for a combinatorial computation is set so that the mean weight value of batches of articles weighed out selectively by plural weighing cycles becomes equal to a preset weigh... | 02/10/1987 |
| 4627012 | Combinatorial weighing method A combinatorial weighing method for combinatorially weighing out articles supplied to a plurality of weighing machines includes the step of making a comparison between a predetermined percentage of a set target weight value and a sum total of weight value... | 12/02/1986 |
| 4566070 | Method of counting parts A method of counting articles includes weighing a multiplicity of articles in n weighing hoppers, and dividing the weight of the articles weighed by each of the weighing hoppers by a preset unit weight to determine the number of articles in each of the we... | 01/21/1986 |
| 4549278 | Combinatorial weighing method and apparatus A combinatorial weighing or counting method and apparatus in which a plurality of articles are weighed to provide a plurality of weight values, or to provide a plurality of discrete numbers found from the weight values, the weight values or numbers are co... | 10/22/1985 |
| 4519042 | Method of indicating results of combinatorial computations An apparatus and method is disclosed for checking the operation of a combinatorial weighing or measuring apparatus to determine whether the weighing machines and the microcomputer which determines the optimum combination of objects are operating properly.... | 05/21/1985 |
| 4447885 | Apparatus and method for measuring the number and/or value of an unknown quantity of articles A load cell weighs an unknown quantity of used bank notes. A micro-processor receives a signal representative of the weight of the notes and processes the weight representative signals to obtain an output signal representing the value of the notes weighed... | 05/08/1984 |
| 4419734 | Inventory control system An inventory control system for a plurality of storage areas is provided wherein each storage area comprises at least one platform adapted to support a plurality of identical articles, and platform-supporting means including transducer means for providing... | 12/06/1983 |
| 4398613 | Device for grouping articles by combination selection so as to have the predetermined number A device for grouping solid articles so as to have a predetermined total number by combination selection technique, in which a plurality of sub-groups of articles are prepared, the number of articles in each sub-group is detected, some of these sub-groups... | 08/16/1983 |
