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 |
| 8166825 | Method and apparatus for noise reduction in ultrasound detection Method and apparatus for noise reduction in ultrasound detection with the steps of: an optical interferometer having a reference arm and a signal arm that includes a polarization-maintaining probing fiber having a reflective coating at a distal end, a way to couple ... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8151646 | Differential mode laser detection and ranging device According to one embodiment, a system for measuring vibration includes multiple spatially separated detectors coupled to a differential signal analyzer and a light source. The light source generates a coherent light beam onto a target that is reflected as backscatte... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8096184 | Turbine blade for monitoring blade vibration The claimed invention provides a blade vibration measuring system comprising a blade, a transmitter, a target with non parallel edges located on the blade shroud and a receiver. The present invention also provides a blade adapted for measuring blade vibration. Furth... | 01/17/2012 |
| 7942059 | Sensor arrangement A sensor arrangement for detecting objects, includes an ultrasonic sensor and an optical sensor integrated into the ultrasonic sensor. ... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7938010 | Passive, remote sensor A passive, remote sensor including an optical subsystem for receiving electromagnetic radiation scattered off a surface. A detector is responsive to electromagnetic radiation received by the optical subsystem and generates a composite signal comprising a DC current ... | 05/10/2011 |
| 7448273 | Effecting dynamic measurement of low mass devices A low mass device is disclosed. The low mass device includes a body member defining a surface and a retroreflective pattern formed in the surface of the body member. ... | 11/11/2008 |
| 7443513 | Apparatus for optical measurement of an object An apparatus for optical measurement of an object, especially for measuring movement, is provided, which includes an interferometer for measuring movements along the measurement beam of the interferometer, as well as a confocal auto-focus microscope. The interferome... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7437960 | Device for detecting labels on a carrier material A device for detecting labels on a carrier material conveyed through a detection plane includes an optical sensor and an ultrasonic sensor. Each sensor is arranged to detect labels. Switching elements selectively activate one of the sensors. ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7387027 | Characterization of materials with optically shaped acoustic waveforms A method for characterizing one or more properties of a sample using acoustic waveforms is disclosed, and comprises directing a sequence of at least three optical pulses to the sample to generate an acoustic response in the sample at a frequency corresponding to the... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7351592 | Microfluidic device and method with trapping of sample in cavities having lids that can be opened or closed Method and arrangement (10, 20) for preparing samples (15, 27) submergible in a liquid medium. The arrangement includes a carrier structure (11). The carrier includes a device (13, 23) for controllable generation of a magnetic field throu... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7326917 | Wear monitor for turbo-machine A wear determination device for determining vibration in a turbine engine component to reduce wear in a turbine engine. The wear determination device may be capable of measuring vibrations in a turbine engine component. The vibration measurement may be used to deter... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7312069 | Method of analyzing ligand in sample and apparatus for analyzing ligand in sample A sample analyzing method capable of high-precision analysis without being affected by vibration and optical design is provided. In the sample analyzing method, a sample containing a ligand is caused to bind to a receptor that can bind specifically to the ligand, an... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7302852 | Vibration measuring and monitoring system A vibration measuring and monitoring system (100) for an object (20) includes a laser unit (11), a laser sensor unit (12), and a processor (15). The laser unit is used for emitting a laser beam (13). The laser sensor unit is... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7293463 | Acoustoelectric conversion device In an acoustoelectric converter element, a light wave from a light source is introduced into a first optical waveguide of a vibration substrate, and diffracted by a diffraction grating disposed on the first optical waveguide. The diffracted light is directed to and ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7286241 | System and method for high-speed laser detection of ultrasound A system and method for laser light amplification provides amplification of a laser light beam emitted from a laser light source as low-amplification seed laser light signal. The low-amplification seed laser light signal is transmitted to an amplification component.... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7281429 | Optical hydrophone for a shock-wave field with long service life An optical hydrophone for measurement of the acoustic pressure distribution in a fluid medium has a light source that illuminates an area of a boundary region between an optically transparent body and the fluid medium. A light receiver measures the intensity of the ... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278315 | Laser-ultrasonic detection of subsurface defects in processed metals Subsurface defects in a processed metal are detected by a laser-ultrasonic method involving generation of a surface acoustic wave at one location on the processed metal surface, and detection of a scattered acoustic wave at another location on the processed metal su... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7276770 | Fast Si diodes and arrays with high quantum efficiency built on dielectrically isolated wafers Fast silicon diodes and arrays with high quantum efficiency built on dielectrically isolated wafers. A waveguide is formed in the top surface of the silicon that utilizes total internal reflection from the Si—Si Oxide interface to form an internal mirror. This mir... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7274194 | Apparatuses and methods for repairing defects in a circuit Methods and apparatuses to repair defects in a circuit, such as during or subsequent to the manufacture of the circuit. Defects may be detected through, for example, optical processing of an acquired image of the circuit or by measuring the strength of a signal emit... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7262861 | Ultrasound single-element non-contacting inspection system A laser ultrasonic inspection apparatus and method which enables remote sensing of thickness, hardness, temperature and/or internal defect detection is disclosed. A laser generator impinges a workpiece with light for generating a thermo-elastic acoustic reaction in ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7204146 | Device and method for measuring thickness A device for measuring thickness of an object has a vibration generator for generating vibrations in the object, a vibration detector for detecting vibrations generated in the object by the vibration generator and a frequency analyzer for calculating resonance frequ... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7193720 | Optical vibration imager A remote sensor capable of imaging vibrations at many simultaneous points using high-speed imaging cameras is disclosed. The preferred embodiment operates in heterodyne detection mode using a single camera to capture signals to recover multi-pixel vibrations. One al... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7168323 | System and method for optical vibration sensing A system for sensing vibration of a machine is provided. A light source directs a beam of light toward a light receiving system adapted to receive at least a portion of the beam of light. A light modulating system modulates the light beam received by the light recei... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7165454 | Ultrasonic sensor unit In order to arrange a heater effectively in a case containing ultrasonic sensors to melt frozen snow attached to the case assuredly to ensure the performance of the ultrasonic sensors, an ultrasonic sensor unit comprises ultrasonic sensors (9, 10), a case ( | 01/23/2007 |
| 7150193 | Method for detection of defects in anisotropic materials Disclosed herein is a method for imaging anisotropic media comprising selecting multiple points within the anisotropic media, which is to be imaged; determining an acoustic path between each selected point in the anisotropic media and a receiver position on the surf... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7144477 | Wear indicator for seal strip in a suction box of a paper machine A suction roll assembly includes a suction roll having a perforated shell, and a suction box positioned within the suction roll. The suction box includes a holder, a seal strip adjacent the shell and carried by the holder, at least one target carried by the seal str... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7145660 | Micro-resonator based optical sensor An optical sensor system for providing an output signal in response to a sensed parameter is disclosed. The sensor system comprises an optical signal source generating an input signal, a sensing element in optical communication with the optical signal source and a d... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7134343 | Opto-acoustoelectric device and methods for analyzing mechanical vibration and sound An opto-acoustoelectric device encompasses a diaphragm having a diffraction grating, the diaphragm is susceptible to a vibration driven by an external force; a light source oriented to irradiate the diffraction grating; and a photo detector configured to detect the ... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7131331 | Non-destructive testing apparatus Apparatus for non-destructively testing material to enable detection of any damage sites, comprising means for generating localized heating at any damage site in the material, and means for imaging the material to enable detection of any localized heating at the dam... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7116428 | Method and device for measuring wall thickness of a pipe in a pipe-rolling mill A method and device for measuring the wall thickness of a pipe in a pipe-rolling mill wherein a Fabry-Pérot interfero-meter has its mirror spacing set by providing an input to a linear activity for one of the mirrors from a controller receiving an input from a phot... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7114395 | Vibration detector A small photodetector type microphone (10) exhibiting excellent directivity without requiring any mirror surface. A diaphragm (27) vibrates in response to a sound pressure. An optical waveguide (28) is formed along the diameter of the diaphragm ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7114393 | Method and apparatus for laser vibrometry Apparatus and method for identifying a remote target (7; 7a) is described. The remote target (6; 6a) is illuminated with radiation (5; 5a) generated by a laser (1; 1a) and the radiation scattered by the target ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7073384 | Method and apparatus for remote measurement of vibration and properties of objects A method and apparatus (10) is provided which employs phase or amplitude modulated electromagnetic probing waves (20) (in optical or microwave frequency ranges or both) emitted toward a vibrating object (8). The optical and/or microwave probing ... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7059822 | Methods and apparatus for measuring wind turbine blade deflection A method for determining rotor blade deflection, wherein a rotor blade is coupled to a hub, includes coupling a first end of a beam to the rotor blade, positioning a second end of the beam adjacent the hub, measuring the deflection of the beam using at least one sen... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7052232 | Method for determining the angle of a rotor blade pertaining to a wind energy installation The present invention provides a new and improved method for quickly and accurately determining the rotor blade angle of a wind power installation. The present invention also allows for the rotor blade angle measurements to be taken from the ground, thereby allowing... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7043376 | Vibration measurement apparatus and method An apparatus for measuring vibration in a article having a rotating member. A motion sensitive transducer produces a time domain analog signal in response to the vibration. An analog-to-digital data acquisition member samples the transducer signal and produces a tim... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7036377 | Apparatus and method for calculating vibration displacement of vibrator An apparatus for calculating vibration displacement of a vibrator according to one aspect of the present invention includes a mirror attached to a predetermined portion of a vibrator; a light emitting unit installed at a predetermined position spaced apart from the ... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7027353 | Method and apparatus for real-time vibration imaging A system and method for detecting vibration information by receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted from a target object at a photodetector array to provide real-time imaging of the target object. The detected radiation may be visible light, infrared... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6993977 | Remote structural material evaluation apparatus A method of unobtrusive evaluation of structural material integrity without requiring physical contact for referencing integrity values, comprising: directing an impact source at said structural material; obtaining signal information from the structural material by ... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6993257 | Optical channel monitor utilizing multiple Fabry-Perot filter pass-bands An optical channel monitor is described, the optical channel monitor includes an optical input port, a photodetector disposed in an optical path communicating at least intermittently with the optical input port, an optical filter disposed in the optical path between... | 01/31/2006 |
