Patents Examined by John W. Caldwell, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5068653
    Abstract: A capacitance length and/or angle measuring device has a transducer comprising a stationary part (1) forming a scale and a part (2) displaceable parallel over the surface of the scale, at a short distance therefrom and acting as a sensing unit. The opposite surfaces of the scale and sensing unit are provided with capacitor coatings (5,6,7,8,9). The mechanical quantity to be measured causes an area vibration of a capacitor, the capacitance variation resulting therefrom acting as a variable capacitive reactance in a circuit, which changes the phase position of the electrical signals. With an appropriate configuration of the capacitor surfaces one obtains a linear function between the mechanical quantity to be measured and the phase portion of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Mauser-Werke Oberndorf GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Klingler, Siegfried Gruhler, Helmut Rivinius
  • Patent number: 4962366
    Abstract: An automatic turn signal cancelling apparatus for a motorized cycle, in which a signal provided from a handlebar turning angle detector is accumulated in response to a signal provided from a travel distance detector, and the cancellation of turn signal is made on the basis of comparisons of such accumulated value and the output of the turning angle detector with respective preset values, whereby a more appropriate function of cancellation of turn signal can be achieved.Further, by providing with a device for determining a turning angle center in accordance with signals from the turning angle detector and the travel distance detector, a more accurate function of cancellation of turn signal can be attained.Moreover, an easier and more reliable operation is assured by providing a compact and functional operating switch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1990
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Hatanaka, Yukio Miyamaru, Shigeo Kawada
  • Patent number: 4862154
    Abstract: The present invention provides for the combining of image and graphics data in a high-performance raster graphics workstation. It allows the definition of windows on the screen, the dynamic control of the position of those windows, the magnification factor (integer zoom), and a color translation table, corresponding to each window. All these functions are under user control. Response time of 10 new frame buffers generated per second provides a "real" time response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jorge Gonzalez-Lopez
  • Patent number: 4862162
    Abstract: In a vehicle presence detection system in which an inductive sensor loop is the frequency-determining element of the tuned circuit of a loop oscillator, discrimination against variations in inductance due to environmental changes is achieved by comparing detect and tracking reference numbers with a sample number that is a function of the oscillator frequency and updating each reference number repeatedly at real time intervals independent of loop oscillator frequency. The current sample number is compared with either the tracking reference or the detect reference according to whether or not the system is indicating the presence of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: Sarasota Automation Limited
    Inventor: Richard K. Duley
  • Patent number: 4862152
    Abstract: A three-dimensional ultrasonic position control device suitable for controlling computer displays or robot movements is disclosed.More specifically, signals from an ultrasonic transmitter are received by multiple receivers. The received signals are processed by a processing circuit which provides signals to a computer system for use in controlling a computer display or a robot. This system is particularly adapted to use inexpensive components to provide for a low cost mass producible control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Inventor: Ronald E. Milner
  • Patent number: 4859999
    Abstract: A system for rapidly generating an image of a pattern in successive lines each being formed of a plurality of pixels, the system storing the previously generated line, producing one or more replacement pixels, and providing successively generated lines of the image by selectively delivering stored pixels or replacement pixels in accordance with commands defining the boundaries of the pattern. The pixels of the previously generated line are updated with the replacement pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Gerber Scientific Instrument Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Dusan A. Koso
  • Patent number: 4857887
    Abstract: The keyboard comprises piezoelectric crystal elements arranged between laminates provided with conducting strips. A voltage is generated when pressure is applied to the elements. The keyboard is tensionless in its rest state and contains no unwanted air spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Schenk & Co.
    Inventor: Thomas Iten
  • Patent number: 4852007
    Abstract: A method and a device for stopping a vehicle at a predetermined position in which the distance between actual and target positions of the vehicle and the velocity and acceleration of the vehicle are detected so as to perform brake control by selecting brake control notches or settings on the basis of the detected values of the distance, the velocity and the acceleration to thereby stop the vehicle at the predetermined position, wherein fuzzy values for a stop gap accuracy in the case where the present notch or brake control setting is maintained as well as a stop gap accuracy in the case when the notch or brake control setting is changed by a predetermined value are obtained and compared with each other to thereby perform the notch or brake control setting selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yasunobu, Shoji Miyamoto, Hirokazu Ihara
  • Patent number: 4849746
    Abstract: A digital video generator provides for smooth scrolling of a video image across a video display device. A digital memory contains data to be displayed. Under control of a computer this data is transferred to a display memory as needed. The data is displayed with a gray scale intensity level for each pixel. Two successive pixels in the direction of movement are read out of the display memory, a current pixel and a next pixel, and are added together in a mixer with a weighting factor determined by the computer according to the scrolling speed selected to provide a weighted pixel. The weighted pixel is converted into analog video data or display. At intervals depending upon the selected scrolling speed the computer reloads the display memory from the digital memory to replace the data which has been displayed and scrolled off the monitor. Initial values for the top of the display field and the weighting factor are computed each display cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Dubner Computer Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Dubner
  • Patent number: 4849747
    Abstract: Disclosed is a display data transfer control apparatus in which a line control memory which can preset raster count data for modifying, in units of lines, an address of a main storage storing a character font to be displayed and character attribute data are provided, and a transfer line in the character font is determined for each line transfer in a DMA transfer sequence, so that, e.g., multi font control, character vertical elongation control, and ruled line vertical extension control, as well as processing character attributes such as an underline and overline, can be realized in the DMA transfer sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Panafacom Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Ogawa, Haruhiko Tsuchiya, Tsutomu Araki, Hiroshi Aoki, Hiroshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 4850033
    Abstract: In prior cellular radio transmission systems a base radio station (BS) periodically transmits references identifying control channels associated with such base radio station, references identifying control channels of adjoining base stations, and references identifying a substitute control channel. The invention reduces the number of references which must be transmitted by a base station, which is of particular advantage in an integrated services cellular radio transmission system. A transmission channel of each base station is assigned as a simplex message transmission channel (COCH) in which a given base station (BS) transmits to the mobile stations (MS) information describing the structure of the control channels (CCH). Such information includes references (NC) to message transmission channels of adjoining base stations and references (CC) to one or more control channels assigned to the given base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corp.
    Inventors: Alfons Eizenhofer, Werner Schmidt
  • Patent number: 4849745
    Abstract: In an image display apparatus, a frame memory for storing original data and a display memory for storing display data are used as memories for storing image data. The image data is read out from the display memory and is displayed by a display system. When image data transfer from the frame memory to the display memory is performed through a programmable data conversion memory, data conversion is performed as image processing. The image display apparatus has a masking memory having an image area corresponding to the frame memory. The masking memory stores image data indicating a desired transfer area in the frame memory as a mask pattern in advance. The image data transfer from the frame memory to the display memory is performed only for an area designated by the masking memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hitoshi Satou
  • Patent number: 4849732
    Abstract: A self-contained data terminal or typewriter keyboard completely operable by a single human hand for the input of information into a computer or other electronic device. The keyboard comprises five sets of keys, each set aligned respectively with the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and small finger of an extended hand. Complementary orientation and positioning of the sets are determined by whether the terminal is to be used by a right-handed or left-handed user. The control keys may be used to manipulate text or other information entered into the attached device and are operated by the thumb. The character keys consist primarily of letters of the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation sets and are positioned below the remaining four fingers. The terminal is operated in a single keystroke character input mode. Several data control keys can also be mounted to the terminal to perform additional text manipulation functions, similar to the control keys, or any other necessary commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Inventor: Heinz C. Dolenc
  • Patent number: 4850036
    Abstract: A frequency-hopping radio communication system is disclosed comprising a control unit which transmits to and receives from each of a plurality of slave stations using a frequency-hopping mode of operation. During a start-up mode, the control unit communicates a starting message to each slave station using a predefined frequency. The message identifies to each slave station a frequency-hopping sequence to be used to select the frequencies from a group of frequencies for transmission to and reception from the control unit. This message also specifies to each slave station unique starting frequencies in the frequency-hopping sequence at which to begin transmitting and receiving. All slave station transmissions are synchronized to the control unit transmissions, thereby preventing any two stations from concurrently using the same frequencies for either transmitting to or receiving from the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignees: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Information Systems Inc.
    Inventor: James W. Smith
  • Patent number: 4847604
    Abstract: A computer graphic interface allows a user to obtain descriptive information concerning a feature of a displayed image by pointing to the location of the feature. Conversely, the user may enter descriptive textual information, and the locations of responsive features are indicated. The data processing and memory storage requirements are minimized by encoding information about the image as a pixel bit map, and a color map in which the addresses or indices of the color map are correlated with the addresses or pointers to strings of descriptive information. Each color map address corresponds to a predefined set of features and descriptive information about those features. Since the pixel bit map defines a color map address for each location on the image, suitable programming of the color map can insure proper correlation of descriptive information with corresponding locations on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Inventor: Michael D. Doyle
  • Patent number: 4847603
    Abstract: A display system and method, especially for use in an aircraft head up display system, for maintaining an optical image in a predetermined position on a light emitting screen. The system has a beam type image generator controlled by an operating circuit. A controlled beam scans both a central display region and marginal regions of the screen. The marginal regions have beam sensors and the beam is controlled by a sequence of plural coordinate commands in accordance with a plural coordinate search pattern restricted to the marginal regions and in the vicinity of the beam sensors. Signals resulting therefrom are utilized to eliminate beam deflection errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Inventor: Clark E. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 4845474
    Abstract: An ionization smoke and fire detector comprises a molded plastic housing that includes a nodal ring for supporting a vibrating plate that is part of an alarm. The alarm may be driven by piezoelectricity or by an electromechanical device. If the detector is battery powered, a portion of the housing is cut out to permit removal and insertion of a battery holder that makes contact automatically upon insertion to supply electric power to the electronic circuit of the smoke detector. One electrode of a reference chamber for the smoke detector is formed by wave-soldering an open metallized area on the printed-circuit board. Contact with the movable element of the alarm and with a high-impedance input in an integrated circuit are made through springs that are not soldered or welded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: Pioneer Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Prentice G. Moore, Stanley J. Brooks
  • Patent number: 4841280
    Abstract: A visual display apparatus comprises a multisegment bar display (2) having display characters (16) divided into two groups. In the first group individual outer segment bars (17) are each associated with a respective permanent marking which indicates a specific information item or class of information items, and are connected in a closed cycle whereby the instantaneously actuated display can be advanced forward or backward in the closed cycle from one segment bar (17) to another by keys (4,5). A sequence of display patterns representing parameter values is displayed in the second group of display characters (16), which sequence and which set depends on the segment bar (17) which is instantaneously actuated in the first group, and a desired parameter value can be selected from among the sequence by depressing an "acceptance" key (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: August Sauter GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Hermann, Herbert Muerdter, Walter Ehresmann, Manfred Kammerer
  • Patent number: 4841291
    Abstract: A technique is described for animating graphics objects (sprites) on a display. The display manager allows a user to select a sprite from the display or from a sprite table. Then the user selects the operation to perform on the sprite. Enabled operations include hiding the sprite, showing the sprite, redefining the sprite, placing the sprite or moving the sprite. The move operation allows the user to make the sprite the current cursor character and move it around the display under the control of the mouse. Any of the operations may be performed on the selected sprite. The operations are recorded for the user to later playback. Additionally, the user can select other sprites and perform additional operations on them. In this way, the user can interactively create an animated display consisting of multiple sprites. As the user creates the various sprite operations, he or she can play them back at any time to see how they appear and edit the operations to tailor them to the user's needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Scott R. Swix, Leroy A. Krueger
  • Patent number: 4841296
    Abstract: A two-wire transmitter having a detecting section for detecting a physical variable to be measured to produce a detection output, first and second constant voltage devices connected in series with a two-wire transmission path, a signal processor driven by a voltage supplied by the first constant voltage device for converting the detection output into representative serial pulse signals and a switching circuit which is connected in parallel with the second constant voltage device and is turned on and off by the serial pulse signals to produce corresponding output signals from the transmitter on the two-wire transmission path by utilizing a current flowing in the two-wire transmission path while enabling the transmitter to connect in a single loop with another two-wire transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Yamatake-Honeywell Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Kadoya, Jun Kawachi, Keiji Miyazawa