Patents Represented by Law Firm Limbach, Limbach & Sutton
  • Patent number: 4977618
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for wireless communications of information between two locations. A transmitter means modulates the information into infrared radiation at a first location. The infrared radiation is transmitted by the transmitter to a reflecting surface along a straight line path which is transparent to the infrared radiation. The infrared radiation is reflected at the reflecting surface forming reflected infrared radiation. A receiver means for receiving the reflected infrared radiation from the reflecting surface is positioned at a second location. The second location and the reflecting surface have a straight line path therebetween which is transparent to the infrared radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: Photonics Corporation
    Inventor: Richard C. Allen
  • Patent number: 4976618
    Abstract: The present invention provides an intraoral sensing device which generates a pressure change in cavities positioned between the upper and lower dental surfaces. This signal is used to provide a therapeutic apparatus and method for treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and bruxism. An audible signal is generated to wake the patient from a nocturnal eqisode of abnormal jaw muscle activity. Control means are provided to establish a threshold value below which no audio signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Inventor: Kent Anderson
  • Patent number: 4976482
    Abstract: An apparatus including wedges with buttons and cooperating guide blocks positioned about halfway along the length of the wedges between the buttons, each block including a projection on one side of the wedge and a recess on the other side, for clamping heavy pipes or tubes with a low number of driving assemblies. The blocks are mounted in a very simple manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: P. Boer & Zn. B.V.
    Inventor: Theodorus G. Wilhelmus van Steijn
  • Patent number: 4975065
    Abstract: Adjacent microwave circuit modules are coaxially connected by means of insulating plugs, in which through-pins are embedded, recessed mounted in bores in the opposed walls of a pair of modules and an inter-connector made of an insulating material and containing sockets for mating with the through-pins, the inter-connector being dimensioned such that it can be inserted half way into each of the bores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Avantek, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Rosenberg, James P. Slupe
  • Patent number: 4975820
    Abstract: A circuit (20, 40, 50, 60) for generating an optimal compensating ramp voltage signal V.sub.cramp, with the minimum necessary slope, m.sub.c for a current mode DC/DC converter is shown. The adaptive compensating ramp generating circuit (20) is comprised of two voltage dividers (22, 24), the first voltage divider 22 divides an input voltage V.sub.IN and the second voltage divider 24 divides an output voltage V.sub.OUT. The first voltage divider (22) has two resistors (26, 28) in series: the first resistor (26) has a resistance of (1/B-1) * R ohms and the second resistor (28) has a resistance of R ohms. V.sub.OUT is divided by the second voltage divider (24) having two resistors (29, 30) in series: the first resistor (29) has a resistance of (1/A-1) * R ohms and the second resistor (30) has a resistance of R ohms. The constants A, B, and C are selected for the particular type of DC/DC converter employed. The divided voltages A * V.sub.OUT and B * V.sub.IN are input into a voltage controlled current source (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Tamas S. Szepesi
  • Patent number: 4975878
    Abstract: An integrated, non-volatile memory protect register is provided for the memory array of a monolithic integrated circuit device. The memory array includes a plurality of programmable data storage registers, each having an associated address. The storage register addresses define the storage registers sequentially from an initial register in the array to a final register in the array. The memory protect register stores the address of a preselected storage register in the array. All registers in the array having addresses equal to or greater than the address of the preselected register are protected from any write operation. This address can be "locked" into the memory protect register to provide permanent data security to all protected registers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: National Semiconductor
    Inventors: Sudhakar Boddu, Vikram Kowshik, Elroy M. Lucero
  • Patent number: 4972830
    Abstract: A device is disclosed for dispersing a fluid supplied from an external source having a feed supply. An inlet accepts a fluid from the feed supply for passing the fluid through an outer perimeter of the device in a downstream direction and has an axes contained in a plane. An outlet is provided downstream from the inlet for allowing the fluid to exit. A bluff body is positioned between the inlet and the outlet and has an axes contained in a plane perpendicular to the inlet axes plane. At least one passageway internal to the outer perimeter and external and extending downstream from the outlet for passing a second fluid is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Vortran Medical Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon A. Wong, James I. C. Lee, Gary M. Peck
  • Patent number: 4973336
    Abstract: A composition for the improvement of hydrocarbon fuel as exhibiting a boiling range of gasoline. The composition comprises an amine, a polyaminated detergent, a phenylamine diamine inhibited aromatic monomer stabilized by a polymeric substrate, a catalyst, a solvent, a promotor, alternative promoter and co-promoter. When used collectively, the recited composition has been found to significantly increase the octane of such hydrocarbon fuels while enhancing their anti-knock, anti-icing, anti-oxidency, anti-corrosion, detergency, and combustion properties and providing a lubrication quality to spark ignition-type engines used to burn the hydrocarbon fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Inventor: Jean-Louis G. Gheysens
  • Patent number: 4973818
    Abstract: A device and a method for the control and monitoring of a deflectable electron beam is provided for the working of metal wherein the electron beam is not permitted to go beyond an allowed working area. With this device with the aid of a Teach-In method the limits are entered into a computer. The computer generates an image of the areas allowed for the electron beam in a particular area of a special memory. This memory is so organized that the addresses of the point of the particular areas correspond to the digitized coordinates of the point of impingement of the electron beam. The characterization of the allowed and forbidden target points of the electron beam takes place through placing or deleting respectively the assigned bits in the special memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Harald Bittenbrunn, Friedrich-Werner Thomas, Gernot Thorn
  • Patent number: 4970407
    Abstract: A conventional D-type flip-flop transfers the data input D to a first output Q and a second output Q', where the second output Q' is the complement of the first output Q, on the transitions of a clock signal CK. This involves the transfer of data from a master latch and a series-connected slave latch which are loaded on alternating phases of the clock signal CK. The present invention provides for asynchronous loading of replacement data into the flip-flop by using a tri-stable buffer in both the master and slave latches. In response to a load signal LD, replacement data is injected into the master and slave latches overriding the current value stored at the Q and Q' outputs. This occurs because the load signal disables the normally active buffers while activating the loading buffers causing the normally active data path to go the tri-state condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Paul J. Patchen
  • Patent number: 4970511
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for indicating the angular position of an object relative to a reference position in which a plurality of different tracks of indicia are positioned on indicia-supporting media that is adapted for movement with the object. High resolution position words are assembled by merging position information resolved from a plurality of different tracks of indica. The position information is resolved by way of sine wave synthesis in which position information from a pair of tracks having different resolutions is used to generate position information of an intermediate resolution. This intermediate position information is merged with position information from the higher resolution track of the two tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Bei Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerlad A. Mills
  • Patent number: 4968021
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for flipping over flexible and limp planar workpieces such as fabric. The apparatus includes a primary workpiece propeller having a cylindrical means for contacting the workpiece about a central rotating axis. A slot of sufficient size to receive the workpiece is positioned in a vertical orientation beneath the primary propeller. The slot preferably has a flared upper end positioned directly beneath and in contact or near contact with the propeller. The fabric is drawn into the slot by the rotation of the propeller and follows the contour of the flared open end of the slot. The fabric enters into the slot until the trailing edge of the fabric is in contact with the primary propeller. The trailing edge of the fabric is gripped by the propeller and thereby drawn to the opposite side of the flared opening of the slot and is subsequently pulled out of the slot. The fabric has thereby been inverted so that the top of the fabric is now on the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Levi Strauss & Company
    Inventors: Lawrence Wafford, Richard L. Harrington, Hubert Blessing
  • Patent number: 4967268
    Abstract: A liquid crystal shutter system for selecting fields of a field-sequential image, by transmitting the field-sequential image, with a synchronization signal, to one or more remote liquid crystal cell shutter assemblies. Each shutter assembly transmits selected fields of the field-sequential image in response to a drive signal, and includes a drive circuit for receiving the synchronization signal and generating each drive signal in response to the synchronization signal so that each drive signal has transitions synchronized with image fields. The drive circuit is capable of rapidly processing short duration synchronization signals with very low power consumption. In one embodiment, two liquid crystal cell assemblies are mounted in an eyeglass frame and used as a wireless selection device for a field-sequential stereoscopic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: StereoGraphics
    Inventors: Lenny Lipton, Marvin Ackerman
  • Patent number: 4965524
    Abstract: Clock select circuitry is provided which allows CPU operation at the crystal frequency or one-half the crystal frequency. Frequency selection is accomplished under CPU control and circuitry is added to insure that the a glitch free clock change can be performed on the fly. The glitch free clock select insures that no half T state is less than what a full speed half T state would be. By gating the appropriate phases of the half speed clock and the full speed clock to control the clocking of a flip flop, the point at which the clock selection multiplexer is switched can be controlled. In speeding up the clock, the speed change occurs on the falling edge of the full speed clock provided that the half speed clock is low. When slowing down the clock, the speed change occurs on the rising edge of the half speed clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Paul J. Patchen
  • Patent number: 4965739
    Abstract: In the present disclosure, a method of routing interconnections between a semiconductor module and another semiconductor module in a planar field by the use of a digital computer program is disclosed. The method is a variation of the prior art YACR method. The method provides for variable width track routing, as well as cost equation for net assignment and cost equation of net chosen to particular a horizontal track. The present invention also relates to a method for positioning the modules. The method of positioning the two modules or compacting the modules is a method for moving tracks between modules from one module to the other module as close to the opposite module as possible within the design rule constraints. The tracks are then moved in an opposite direction and the straightest segment to minimize jogs is chosen. Each track is then moved in the opposite direction and is moved as close to the straightest previous adjacent track as possible, within the design rule constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: VLSI Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Ng
  • Patent number: 4964735
    Abstract: An apparatus (12) for providing information about the power and position of a high laser beam includes a heat absorbing body (46) having a target area within which the laser beam is directed. Position information is provided by a plurality of thermocouples (46) connected in series in a circular array and located radially outward of the target area. In the preferred embodiment, the thermocouple array is divided into four quadrants (60-66), each quadrant generating a voltage proportional to the heat flow in the body at that location. A comparison of the voltages generated by each of the quadrants will provide information about the position of the laser beam with respect to the quadrants. In addition, by summing the output of the quadrants, information about the total power of the beam can be derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Coherent, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Sasnett, Ronald Paitich, Edward L. Aurich
  • Patent number: 4965819
    Abstract: A conferencing system facilitating interactive video and audio communication between an individual (such as a criminal, defendant, or a witness in a court proceeding) at a remote station, and a group of individuals at a local station (such as a judge, defense counsel, and a prosecutor or plaintiff's counsel in a courtroom). The system preferably includes a recording unit for producing a permanent, combined video and audio conference record. Preferably, the system includes a local module, a remote module, and a control module. The local module includes a loudspeaker, and a video camera, a video monitor unit, and a microphone for each conferee. It is contemplated that the local module equipment may be disposed in a courtroom, for use by a judge, two attorneys, and a witness. The remote module includes a video camera, a video monitor unit, a microphone, and a loudspeaker. Where the remote module is intended for use by a criminal defendant in police custody (i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Docu-Vision, Inc.
    Inventor: Deno Kannes
  • Patent number: 4964026
    Abstract: The present invention is for an architecture for an input circuit to a linear circuit having a circuit ground from a linear system having a system ground. The architecture has a linear input signal which is coupled into a current limiting input impedance. The current limiting input impedance is not connected to the system ground. A linear input circuit is coupled to receive the reduced input signal and is coupled to the circuit ground. Accordingly, the analog input to the linear input circuit is a current signal rather than a voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: Micro Linear Corporation
    Inventor: James J. Locascio
  • Patent number: 4960594
    Abstract: A polyurethane foam wound dressing and a method for making the dressing is described. The dressing is made from the reaction of a polyurethane prepolymer with a difunctional cross-linking agent in the presence of DMEA and substantial amounts of water. The resulting dressing has a glazed, mirror-smooth surface for application to the wounded area and an insular region to maintain the wound at near body temperature. The dressing has a moisture vapor transmission rate that is close to the capacity of the wound surface to produce serous exudate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: Derma-Lock Medical Corporation
    Inventor: Travis W. Honeycutt
  • Patent number: RE33361
    Abstract: A carrier for substrate and media disk members is disclosed having a base member with upstanding side and end walls and a top surface having a media supporting recess projecting downwardly and including a plurality of continuous semi-circular V-shaped grooves each subtending an angle of less than 180 degrees. Locating means are provided along one side of the carrier for locating the carrier with respect to disk handling equipment. The carrier is provided with a transparent lid having side and end walls respectively telescopically enclosing side and end walls of the base member. The base member has elongate indentations for engaging the top surface of the lid member on which the base member is stacked, and the lid member is provided with elongate upwardly projecting support ridges which contact the underside of the base member stacked thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Inventor: Thomas U. Coe