Abstract: An ergonomic handheld citrus press allowing the use of closed fists and large force of the arms for comfortable and efficient operation, as opposed to the use of open fist and small force in conventional presses. The ergonomic press is comprised of a first and a second elongated member hinged together at one end. The first member has a concave part with straining holes and the second member has a smaller convex part near the hinge. A first handle extends from the concave part and a second handle extends from the convex part at the opposite side of the hinge. The first and second member may be rotated toward each other such that the concave part receives the convex part. In closed condition of the press, the handles are parallel and spaced apart by about 5 cm. The user places a cut half of a citrus such as lemon in the concave part, holds the first handle in one fist and the second handle in another fist, and closes the press against the lemon.

Abstract: A car visor having a light blocking visor sheet attached rotatably to a horizontal shaft which is secured rotatably at one end with a vertical leg above the windshield. An end shaft is fixed to the free end of the visor sheet in alignment with the horizontal shaft. A flexing receptacle attached above the windshield receives and holds the end shaft. The end shaft is partially cylindrical with larger thickness and partially flat with smaller thickness. When the visor sheet is rotated to near vertical orientation, the receptacle flexes against the thinner flat side of the end shaft, allowing the shaft to be pulled out of or pushed into the receptacle with less force compared to other visor sheet orientations where the receptacle flexes against the thicker cylindrical side of the end shaft. Therefore, the driver can maneuver the visor safely and comfortably between windshield and side window.

Abstract: A car visor having a light blocking visor sheet attached rotatably to a horizontal shaft which is secured rotatably at one end with a vertical leg above the windshield. An end shaft is fixed to the free end of the visor sheet in alignment with the horizontal shaft. A flexing receptacle attached above the windshield receives and holds the end shaft. The end shaft is partially cylindrical with larger thickness and partially flat with smaller thickness. When the visor sheet is rotated to near vertical orientation, the receptacle flexes against the thinner flat side of the end shaft, allowing the shaft to be pulled out of or pushed into the receptacle with less force compared to other visor sheet orientations where the receptacle flexes against the thicker cylindrical side of the end shaft. Therefore, the driver can maneuver the visor safely and comfortably between windshield and side window.

Abstract: A touch screen text input system comprising an alphabet keyboard, a row of numeric keys, a text box to show the entered characters, and a word suggestion box. The numeric row and the word suggestion box share the same location and are displayed interchangeably as needed. The row of numeric keys is displayed by default and remains displayed as long as the user enters a numeric key or a combination of numeric and alphabet keys. When the user first enters one or more alphabet keys, the numeric row is replaced by the word suggestion box. After the user completes typing a word by touching the space key or selecting a word from the word suggestion box, the numeric row replaces the word suggestion box.

Abstract: A touch screen text input and selection system for cell phones and computers that allows the user to select characters on a virtual keyboard for inputting, and in a text box for editing without blocking the view of characters by the touching finger. An area adjacent to and below each character displayed on the virtual keyboard or in the text box is mapped to address the respective character. The user touches the area adjacent to and below a character displayed on the virtual keyboard or in the text box to select that character. Similarly, the user can place a cursor in the space between two characters by touching the area below that space. Double tapping an area below a word in the text box selects that word. Sliding finger below a series of characters in the text box selects those characters.

Abstract: A touch screen virtual keyboard is disclosed that allows selecting and entering any key without blocking its view by the user's finger. A touch screen in a computer or cell phone has a virtual keyboard and a text box. To enter a desired key into the text box, the user focuses on the desired key and taps the area below that key. The position of the finger is mapped to address and select the key immediately above the finger. Additional finger tap space is provided at the bottom of the virtual keyboard for selecting and entering the keys in the bottom row. In a similar embodiment, each key is extended vertically. The key character is displayed on the upper portion of the key. To select and enter a desired key into the text box, the user taps the blank lower portion of the key below the desired key character. In another similar embodiment, there is a blank row under each row of keys for addressing the keys above the blank row.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that essentially eliminates the delay in measurement of temperature by a sensor due to exponential response of the sensor. The system finds the rate of change of the sensor signal, multiplies it by the time constant of the sensor signal and adds the result to the instantaneous value of the sensor signal to predict the final value of the sensor signal or the actual value of the temperature. When the sensor is permanently attached to an object, the final temperature of the object is predicted in a similar manner using the combined time constant value of the sensor and the object. The system can be software, analog hardware or digital hardware. The system also allows more accurate temperature control without undershoot or overshoot by providing a control signal proportional to the difference between a desired value and the predicted final value of the sensor signal. The system similarly eliminates the time delay in measurement and control of flow in thermal flow meters.

Abstract: The pill counter of the present invention, counts pills by measuring the weight of individual or a small number of pills as they gradually drop onto a weight scale. During the time between each pill drop, the count is obtained by comparing the weight of latest pills dropped to the expected weight ranges of one or more pills. The expected weight range includes pill weight variation and weight scale error. When the measured weight is between two expected ranges, there is at least one broken pill in addition to the whole pill count of the lower expected range. The counter adds the count of each pill drop to obtain the total count of the pills. In different approach, whenever there is a change in the reading of weight scale more than the error of the weight scale or a predetermined value, the count of pills is increased by one.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that essentially eliminates the delay in measurement of temperature by a sensor due to exponential response of the sensor. The system finds the rate of change of the sensor signal, multiplies it by the time constant of the sensor signal and adds the result to the instantaneous value of the sensor signal to predict the final value of the sensor signal or the actual value of the temperature. When the sensor is permanently attached to an object, the final temperature of the object is predicted in a similar manner using the combined time constant value of the sensor and the object. The system can be software, analog hardware or digital hardware. The system also allows more accurate temperature control without undershoot or overshoot by providing a control signal proportional to the difference between a desired value and the predicted final value of the sensor signal. The system similarly eliminates the time delay in measurement and control of flow in thermal flow meters.

Abstract: There is a toothpaste tube with flexible wall that deforms under atmospheric pressure. One end of the tube is closed and the other end has a head attached with an opening for dispensing. Inside the tube at the head there is a resilient dispensing member extending along a small fraction of the tube length. The dispensing member has a cavity to accommodate the paste. In the first embodiment, the dispensing member has two prongs extending from the head on the two flatter sides of the tube. The dispensing member can be squeezed together with the tube by hand or between fingers to reduce the size of its cavity and dispense the paste through the opening. Upon release of hand or finger pressure, the dispensing member returns to the original shape and brings its adjacent part of the tube into original shape. The expansion of the dispensing member and the tube adjacent to it creates a vacuum that pulls the paste from the farther parts of the tube and fills the cavity and the tube at the opening end.

Abstract: In a computer having a processing unit, a coordinate input device such as a mouse and a display screen, a video image of a cursor or pointer can be moved and positioned on the screen by moving the mouse. The speed of the pointer is changed according to the amount of movement or travel distance of the mouse or pointer. As the mouse or pointer is moved farther from an initial position, the speed of the pointer is increased. When the mouse is stopped or its speed is reduced below a given value, the process stops and restarts with the next movement of the mouse. In one embodiment, the pointer moves at a low speed in fixed relation with the mouse for a first part of the movement of the mouse or pointer. The increase in pointer speed starts after the completion of the first part of the movement. In another embodiment, the speed of the pointer is increased gradually or stepwise form the beginning of the movement of the mouse or pointer.

Abstract: A cup assembly with air insulation comprised of two regular paper cups one inside the other. Each cup has a truncated conical side wall with an outwardly rolled rim defining an opening at the larger end and a bottom wall at the smaller end. The inner cup is inserted from bottom side into the outer cup. The rolled rim of the inner cup pushes against the inside of the outer cup, and the bottom of the inner cup touches the bottom wall of the outer cup. The rolled rim of the inner cup maintains an air space between the side walls of the two cups. The contacts at the bottom and top provide support for the inner cup and maintain it in axial alignment with the outer cup. The contact pressure between the rim of the inner cup and the side wall of the outer cup essentially seals the air space for a more efficient thermal insulation and prevention of beverage leakage into the air space and also provides a frictional force that keeps the inner cup and the outer cup together.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive material is used to reduce a displacement by a factor of about 1000 to achieve displacements with subnanometer resolution. The range of motion is about 100 .mu.m. In one embodiment, a longitude of a magnetostrictive material is attached end to end to a soft magnetic material of same shape and permeability. A magnet provides a magnetic field of constant intnesity and length along half of the combined longitude. When the magnet is displaced along the combined longitude, the length of the magnetic field inside the magnetostrictive material changes. This change is accompanied by an equal and opposite change in the magnetic material, and therefore, the magnetic circuit remains undisturbed. The result is a linear and hysteresis free change in the expansion or contraction of the magnetostrictive material, and displacement of one of its ends relative to the other.

Abstract: A device for dynamic light spot size and shape control which is particularly suitable for vector addressing laser projectors to produce texture, more complex diagrams, and better animation. The curvature of a small reflective surface is changed by a transducer according to a signal. The reflective surface changes the waist diameter and divergence of an incident laser beam. The reflected laser beam is then scanned onto a screen by a pair of galvanometers. The size and shape of the scanning spot on the screen varies with the curvature of the reflective surface. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reflective surface is deposited on a piezoelectric bimorph to follow the curvature of the bimorph induced by the applied signal. In a difference embodiment of the invention, a small amplitude, high speed subscanner, is used to subscan a laser beam in x and y directions. The subscanning beam is then deflected by a low speed main x-y scanner onto a projection screen.

Abstract: To remove the limitation imposed on the number of facets in rotating polygon scanners and to improve the scanning capabilities of vibrational rotating mirrors, a fixed mirror is positioned in front of a deflecting facet to implement successive deflections by the same deflecting facet. In the multiple deflection system thus formed, the deflecting facet width is used very efficiently by directing the input beam with tangential symmetry and oblique to the tangential plane, so that the said beam enters from one tangential side of the mirrors and emerges from the opposite side after a specific number of reflections and deflections between the two mirrors, irrespective of the angular position of the deflecting facet. There are also imaging optics to focus an essentially collimated input light beam to a tangential line image, direct the beam toward the multiple deflecting system, recollimate the output deflected beam and focus it to a circular spot on an image plane.