Abstract: The basic windshield assembly 10 is well known and includes an outer layer 12 of glass and an inner layer 18 of glass with a sheet of transparent plastic 24 sandwiched between and bonded to the layers 12 and 18 of glass. A metal oxide coating 26 is disposed between the outer layer 12 of glass and the plastic sheet 24 as well known in the art and is transparent for filtering light, and is also electrically conductive. Accordingly, the assembly 10 is characterized by an isolated section, generally indicated at 28, of the coating 26 being electrically separated from the remainder of the coating 26 for capacitively sensing the presence of moisture on the outer surface 14 of the outer layer 12 of glass. The isolated section 28 of the coating 26 comprises a first plurality of electrodes 30 and a second plurality of electrodes 32, the first 30 and second 32 plurality of electrodes being parallel, interdigitized or interleaved and spaced from one another.

Abstract: A transformer T1 having a primary winding and a secondary winding each having a plurality of turns 12 and 14 and a plurality of taps 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 for changing the number of effective turns 12 and 14 of the primary winding. An array of LEDs 36 produce a luminous output in response to power supplied by the transformer T1. The assembly is characterized by a controller 38 for automatically selecting one of the taps 16, 18, 20, 22 or 24 in response to an operating parameter of the LEDs 36 for maintaining the luminous output of said LEDs 36 above a predetermined level. The measurement of the operating parameter may be any one of or any combination of measuring voltage across the LEDs 36, measuring current through the LEDs 36, measuring the temperature of the LEDs 36, or measuring 40 the luminous output of the LEDs 36.

Abstract: A cover 20 is hermetically sealed to the lip 18 of a container 12. A stirring shaft 26 extends between a bottom end 28 disposed in the container 12 and a top end 30 disposed outside of and above the cover 20. The container 12 includes a shaft support 32 for supporting and radially centering the bottom end 28 of the stirring shaft 26. A sanitary seal 34 hermetically seals the cover 20 about the stirring shaft 26. A plurality of mixing blades 38 extending radially from the shaft 26 in the container 12. The top end 30 of the shaft 26 includes a driving connection or coupling for receiving a rotating device for rotating the stirring shaft 26 and the mixing blades 38 for mixing the contents of the container 12. The bottom 14 of the container 12 includes an annular leg 40 for supporting the bottom 14 above the central portion 24 of a cover 20 and over the top end 30 of a stirring shaft 26 of a like container 12 assembly.

Abstract: A vehicle (10) includes a windshield presenting an inner surface (14) including a test section (16) therein. A cooling device (24) is attached to the inner surface (14) for cooling the section (16) to a temperature a few degrees below the temperature of the inner surface (14) adjacent the test section (16). A sensor (26) is disposed adjacent the inner surface (14) for sensing condensation on the test section (16) and for providing a heating signal to a defogging control (28) in response to condensation on the test section (16) for initiating the heating of the surface surrounding the test section (16) by the vehicle heater (18) to prevent condensation from forming on the surface surrounding the test section (16).

Abstract: An electrically driven L.E.D. lamp assembly (14) comprising an electrically insulating circuit board (26) having opposed first and second surfaces with light emitting diodes (28) having positive and negative leads (30, 32) mounted on the first surface. A plurality of holes extend through the board (26) and a plurality of pads (50) of thermally conductive plating are disposed on the second side with each pad (50) associated with the leads to conduct heat from each of the leads to one of the pads (50) while maintaining electrical isolation between the pads. A heat sink includes a base (36) overlying the second surface and an adhesive layer (58) of thermally conductive adhesive is disposed between the conductive plating and the heat sink (36) to secure the conductive plating and the circuit board (26) to the heat sink (36).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrically driven L.E.D. lamp assembly (10) comprising the steps of screen printing an electrically insulating coating (16) which can be of less than two hundred microns thickness over an electrically and thermally conductive heat sink, i.e., aluminum, and printing circuit traces 18 of a resin with metal dispersed therein in end to end relationship on the routes of insulating coating 16 to establish discrete and electrically conductive paths for electrically interconnecting light emitting diodes 20. The light emitting diodes 20 are adhesively secured to the ends of adjacent circuit traces 18 with an electrically conductive adhesive 26 comprising an organic polymeric material compounded with a metal.

Abstract: An electrically driven L.E.D. lamp assembly (14) comprising an electrically insulating circuit board (26) having opposed first and second surfaces with light emitting diodes (28) having positive and negative leads (30, 32) mounted on the first surface. A plurality of pads (50) of thermally conductive plating are disposed on the second side with each pad (50) associated with the leads to conduct heat from each of the leads to one of the pads (50). A heat sink includes a base (36) overlying the second surface and layers (56, 58) of thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material are disposed between the conductive plating and the heat sink (36) to secure the conductive plating and the circuit board (26) to the heat sink (36) while preventing a short between the conductive plating (50) and the heat sink (36).

Abstract: An electrically driven L.E.D. lamp assembly (14) comprising an electrically insulating circuit board (26) having opposed first and second surfaces with light emitting diodes (28) having positive and negative leads (30, 32) mounted on the first surface and an electrically conductive plating on the first surface for establishing discrete and electrically conductive paths (34) for electrically interconnecting the positive lead (30) of one the light emitting diodes to the negative lead (32) of another of the light emitting diodes. A plurality of holes extend through the board (26) and a plurality of pads (50) of thermally conductive plating are disposed on the second side with each pad (50) associated with one of the holes and a thermally conductive material extending through the holes and thermally connecting each of the pads (50) and one of the leads to conduct heat from each of the leads to one of the pads (50) while maintaining electrical isolation between the pads.

Abstract: A circuit for maintaining the luminous intensity of a light emitting diode (LED) (12) comprising at least one light emitting diode (LED) (12) for producing an luminous intensity; a sensor (22,24) for sensing a condition proportional to the luminous intensity of the LED (12) and for producing a luminous intensity signal; a power supply (16) electrically connected to the LED (12) for supplying pulses of electrical energy to the LED (12); and wherein the power supply (16) includes a switching device responsive to the luminous intensity signal for adjusting the electrical energy supplied by the pulses per unit of time to adjust the average of the current passing through the LED (12) to maintain the luminous intensity of the LED (12) at a predetermined level. In one instance, the sensor (22) includes means for sensing changes in the operating temperature of the LED (12). In a second instance, the sensor (24) includes means (28) for sensing changes in luminous output of the LED (12).

Abstract: A system for annunciating traffic information includes a plurality of stationary transmitters (42,46) for generating relatively short range, highly directional beam signals (44,48) containing a burst data stream signal (10) to each of a plurality of mobile receivers (50,52,54). The stationary transmitter (42) includes a transmitter (42a) connected to a transmitter antenna (56) for generating the beam signal (44) and to a transmitter control (60) which is connected to a transmitter memory (68) for storing a plurality of compressed data voice messages which are read by the transmitter control and generated as data packet signals (16,20,22) in the burst data stream signal (10).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for supplying regulated voltage d.c. electrical power to an LED array (12) includes a rectifier (32) responsive to a.c. power for generating rectified d.c. power and a power factor correcting and voltage regulating buck/boost switchmode converter (38) responsive to the rectified d.c. power for generating regulated voltage d.c. power to illuminate the LED array (12). A battery backup system (62) receives the a.c. power applied to the rectifier (32) for charging a rechargeable battery (66) and sensing an a.c. power failure. A switch-over relay (82) is connected between the battery backup system (62) and the rectifier. Upon sensing a failure of the a.c. power, the battery backup system (62) controls the switch-over relay (82) to connect the battery backup system (62) to the rectifier (32) to provide d.c. power to the switchmode converter (38) to illuminate the LED array (12). A half wave power detector (88) causes the apparatus (10) to reduce regulated d.c. power to dim the LED array (12).

Abstract: An apparatus (10,80,150) for heating an object with black body infrared radiation. The apparatus (10,80,150) comprises a radiation source (42,96,158) for generating black body infrared radiation and a honeycomb stagnating element (48,132,160) for preventing transmission of heat by convection from the radiation source (42,96,158). Also various methods for using the apparatus (10,80,150) are disclosed.

Abstract: A school bus stop sign (10) of the type rotatably coupled to a school bus (18) and movable between a retracted position adjacent to the school bus (18) and an extended position extending outwardly from the school bus (18) is disclosed. The bus stop sign (10) is characterized by an array of light emitting diodes (34) disposed on the bus stop sign (10) to provide illumination thereto.

Abstract: A traffic information system (10) including a road (12), a vehicle (14) traveling on the road (12) and a traffic light assembly (16) operatively associated with the road (12) is disclosed. The system (10) includes a traffic light assembly (16) comprising at least one traffic light or lamp means (18). The traffic light (18) includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (24) for projecting light rays to the vehicle (14) to provide the driver of the vehicle (14) with a visual signal. The system (10) further comprises a transmitter (20) including a power supply (30) and a modulator (72) for turning the diodes (24) on and off at a rate that is imperceivable to humans while optically transmitting information to a receiver (22) disposed on the vehicle (14).

Abstract: A method is disclosed for making a cam shaft from a plurality of cam lobes (14) having apertures (16) disposed therethrough and a hollow tubular shaft (12). The assembly (10) comprises a support arrangement (18) for supporting the cam lobes (14) along the hollow shaft (12); a solid or liquid propellant (20) disposed within the shaft; and a deflagrator (22) for deflagrating the propellant to introduce a sudden increase of gas pressure in the hollow tubular shaft (12) to expand the shaft radially and into engagement with the cam lobes (16) thereby securing the cam lobes to the shaft and preventing movement therebetween. The propellant (20) is disposed axially along the length of the shaft (12) to promote even radial expansion of the shaft. The propellant (20) is distributed evenly along the length of a thick plastic tube (24) which is inserted in the shaft (12).

Abstract: A method of measuring the distance between vehicles comprising the steps of; emitting light (14) from a first vehicle to define first and second light positions spaced apart a predetermined light distance (L), passing the emitted light through a lens (20) mounted on a second vehicle and having a focal length (f) to present an image (I) of the predetermined light distance (L) at the focal length (f) from the lens, sensing (22) the image (I) at the focal length, producing a signal representing the length of the image (I), storing a scale (28) on the second vehicle which is proportional to the predetermined light distance (L), comparing (26) the length of the image (I) with the scale to produce a signal representing the distance (D) between the vehicles. The method and apparatus is characterized by establishing the predetermined light distance (L) as a constant and fixed length from vehicle to vehicle by using the standard license plate or license plate holder on the first vehicle.

Abstract: The monitoring assembly (10) monitors the location of mobile objects (12), i.e., personnel, within a structure (18). The object (12) carries a transponder (14) which periodically transmits status signals and receives command signals. Transceivers (16) are fixed at locations about the structure (18) for receiving the status signal producing the location signals, and transmitting commands to the transponders. The transmissions and reception occur during prescribed time windows. A central controller (20) is connected to each transceiver (16) and monitors the location of transponders (14) and communication therethrough. The transponders (14) have audio capability of producing audio messages directly to the person thereof, especially during emergency conditions for assistance. The controller (20) transmits synchronizing signals to the transceivers (16), which in turn synchronize themselves and transmit the synchronizing signal to the transponders (14) for synchronizing.

Abstract: A trolley wheel assembly (10) securely sealed to prevent loss of lubricant therefrom and entrance of contaminants therein. The assembly (10) comprises an inner race (12) disposed about an axis of rotation (14) and an outer race (16) concentrically disposed in a spaced relationship about the inner race (12). A plurality of ball bearings (18) are disposed between the inner race (12) and the outer race (16). An outer sealing ring (20) extends radially inwardly from the outer race (16) toward the inner race (12). An inner sealing ring (22) is rotatably disposed about the inner race (12), extending radially outwardly and contiguous the outer sealing ring (20). A wave washer (24) disposed about the inner race (12) biases the inner sealing ring (22) into constant friction engagement with the outer sealing ring (20). A plurality of backup inner sealing rings (26,27) provide a secondary seal about the inner race (12).

Abstract: An apparatus (10,80,150) for heating an object with black body infrared radiation. The apparatus (10,80,150) comprises a radiation source (42,96,158) for generating black body infrared radiation and a honeycomb stagnating element (48,132,160) for preventing transmission of heat by convection from the radiation source (42,96,158). Also various methods for using the apparatus (10,80,150) are disclosed.

Abstract: A local video game (310) including a communicating controller (326). The controller (326) receives local command signals created by a set of player controls (316). The controller (326) also receives remote command signals received through a modem (324) which were created by a remote video game (320) through a similar set of player controls. The controller (326) includes a synchronizer (328) which produces synchronizing codes to be sent to the remote video game (320) to synchronize the games. The synchronizer (328) synchronizes the local and remote command signals such that both are received by a game microprocessor (322) simultaneously. Memory (336) stores the player parameters and are retrieved whenever the synchronization codas of the local (310) and remote (320) video games have not matched for a predetermined number of iterations.