Viewing device to minimize parallax
US Patent 8,328,357
December 11, 2012
A viewing device usable by a surgeon to make an accurate corneal mark during an eye surgery procedure may be a face or head-mounted device to free the surgeon’s hands. The device incorporates a light producing apparatus, such as an LED, that may be positioned to be coaxial or otherwise substantially co-aligned with a line-of-sight of the surgeon’s dominant eye, and thus match the patient’s line of sight with the surgeon’s line of sight. The device include polarizing filters that cooperate with the light to minimize or even eliminate parallax viewing of a corneal light reflex by the surgeon’s non-dominant or other eye. Further, the device may also include magnification lenses to enhance the view of the eye as seen by the surgeon.
Cleanable touch and tap-sensitive surface
US Patent 8,325,141
December 4, 2012
A touch sensitive surface having touch-capacitive and vibration sensors. This surface allows the user to rest their fingers on the keys and type as they would on a regular keyboard. As the user places their fingers on the keys, the touch capacitive sensors (one per key) report the signal strength level of each key touched to a processor, but no keystroke is issued by the processor until a corresponding “tap” (ie. vibration) is detected. When a tap is detected, the processor references the status of the touch capacitance sensors before, during, and/or immediately after the moment in time the tap occurred.
Collapsible chair
US Patent 8,322,784
December 4, 2012
A collapsible chair constructed of tubing and fabric that is for use at the beach, camping or outdoors where portability is important to the user. The chair included folding support members that allow the chair to fold up into a small package.
Housings for electronic components
US Patent 8,324,515
December 4, 2012
Housings for electrical or electronic components made using braid or woven fabric sheets having multiple sections treated with different materials as well as processes and materials for making such housings are disclosed.
Systems and methods for predicting locations of weather relative to an aircraft
US Patent 8,319,679
November 27, 2012
Systems and methods for predicting when a weather anomaly (e.g., convective cell) will intersect with an aircraft. Direction of movement and velocity information for at least one weather anomaly are received at a processor from a radar system. An intercept point for the at least one weather anomaly is determined based on the received location, direction of movement and velocity information and location and current speed information for the aircraft. Then, a first indicator based on the intercept point is displayed on a display device.
Offset blade grater
US Patent 8,308,091
November 13, 2012
A food grater having an improved cutting surface in which cutting teeth are configured with cutting edges that are inclined in alternating directions. In various embodiments, the cutting surface is incorporated into a hand-held, box, pyramid, or other grater.
Construction of evidence grid from multiple sensor measurements
US Patent
November 13, 2012
A system includes at least one sensor device configured to transmit a first detection signal over a first spatial region and a second detection signal over a second spatial region. The second region has a first sub-region in common with the first region. The system further includes a processing device configured to assign a first occupancy value to a first cell in an evidence grid. The first cell represents the first sub-region, and the first occupancy value characterizes whether an object has been detected by the first detection signal as being present in the first sub-region. The processing device is further configured to calculate, based on the first and second detection signals, the probability that the first occupancy value accurately characterizes the presence of the object in the first sub-region, and generate a data representation of the first sub-region based on the probability calculation.
Translational mass in-plane MEMS accelerometer
US Patent 8,307,710
November 13, 2012
An in-plane Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometer device with improved performance. An example MEMS device includes one or more components for generating a magnetic flux field perpendicular to a major plane. The device also includes a substrate, a proof mass, a hinge element that flexibly connects the proof mass to the substrate, the major plane corresponds to a major surface of the proof mass, a plurality of conductive leads located at a position on the proof mass proximate the magnetic flux field, a plurality of conductive springs, each of the springs are electrically connected to a corresponding one of the conductive leads, and a plurality of anchor pads connected to the substrate and one of the conductive springs. Isolation trenches directly connect to outer edges of the leads that are adjacent to other leads or proof mass material. The leads and springs include a plurality of slots.
Universal authentication method
US Patent 8,307,209
November 6, 2012
The object of the current invention is to provide the user with an authentication method that is more secure than conventional authentication methods and can be used on personal computers, PDAs, cell phones, personal digital media devices, home and car lock and security systems, television/VCR/DVD remote controls, credit card authentication systems, automatic teller machine authentication systems, among others.
Apparatus and methods for snow and ice detection and removal on a communication antenna
US Patent 8,305,277
November 6, 2012
A method of detecting and removing ice and/or snow on a communication antenna is presented. In the method, environmental data indicating at least one current environmental condition is received. An optical signal is transmitted from a signaling structure of the communication antenna toward a reflecting surface of the antenna. The optical signal is received at the signaling structure upon returning from the reflecting surface. The returning optical signal is then processed to determine at least one characteristic value of the returning optical signal. The reflecting surface is then heated if the environmental data indicates that ice or snow accumulation on the communication antenna is possible, and the at least one characteristic value of the returning optical signal is outside a predetermined range.
