Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100265176 | Magnetic Manual User Interface Devices - Various finger tip controlled manual interface devices that can be used as inputs to personal computers, electromechanical systems and video game consoles utilize concentrically arranged magnets. The polarities of the magnets are oriented to provide restoration forces on a one of the magnets to bias it toward a neutral position. A magnetic sensor including a plurality of sensing elements such as Hall effect devices generates output signals representative of direction and amount of movement of the magnet that is biased to the neutral position. | 10-21-2010 |
20110006772 | Tri-Pod Buried Locator System - A portable self-standing electromagnetic (EM) field sensing locator system with attachments for finding and mapping buried objects such as utilities and with intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) displays. Accessories include a ground penetrating radar (GPR) system with a rotating Tx/Rx antenna assembly, a leak detection system, a multi-probe voltage mapping system, a man-portable laser-range finder system with embedded dipole beacon and other detachable accessory sensor systems are accepted for attachment to the locator system for simultaneous operation in cooperation with the basic locator system. The integration of the locator system with one or more additional devices, such as fault-finding, geophones and conductance sensors, facilitates the rapid detection and localization of many different types of buried objects. | 01-13-2011 |
20110037472 | Omnidirectional Sonde and Line Locator - At least one antenna array including three mutually orthogonal antennas each sharing a common center point senses an electromagnetic signal emitted by a buried object such as a utility line, pipe or sonde. A circuit at least partially mounted in a housing is connected to the array and determines a location of the buried object by measuring signal strength and field angles in three dimensions without having to align the antenna array relative to the buried object while eliminating nulls and false peaks. A graphical user interface (GUI) has user-friendly icons, symbols, menus, numbers and graphical and auditory representation of signal strength. A SEARCH view indicates signal strength by showing a rotating strength indicator, a trace mode MAP view in which line location is shown by a line that moves side-to-side, and a sonde mode MAP view in which sonde location is shown by a moving line, pole and equator. | 02-17-2011 |
20110043211 | Single and Multi-Trace Omnidirectional Sonde and Line Locators and Transmitter Used Therewith - At least one antenna array including three mutually orthogonal antennas each sharing a common center point senses an electromagnetic signal emitted by a buried object such as a utility line, pipe or sonde. A circuit at least partially mounted in a housing is connected to the array and determines a location of the buried object by measuring signal strength and field angles in three dimensions without having to align the antenna array relative to the buried object while eliminating nulls and false peaks. A graphical user interface (GUI) has user-friendly icons, symbols, menus, numbers and graphical and auditory representation of signal strength. A plurality of different underground objects can be simultaneously detected and their different locations can be simultaneously indicated to a user via audible sounds and/or visual images on a display. | 02-24-2011 |
20120215475 | MAGNETIC SENSING USER INTERFACE DEVICE METHODS AND APPARATUS - Methods for processing signals from a magnetic user interface device having a manual actuator are disclosed. Movements of the actuator may cause relative movement between one or more magnets and one or more corresponding sensors that may each generate signals representing independent magnetic field components detected within each sensor. A field model may be used in the magnetic user interface device to translate magnetic sensor readings during operation to position information, which may then be converted to output signals for transmission to an electronic computing system representing displacement and/or deformation of the actuator. The output signals may be generated in a predetermined format, such as USB format or other computer-interface formats, that can be interpreted by the electronic computing system. | 08-23-2012 |
20120242341 | Buried locators systems and methods - Portable self-standing electromagnetic (EM) field sensing locator systems with attachments for finding and mapping buried objects such as utilities and with intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) displays are described. Accessories may include a ground penetrating radar (GPR) system with a rotating Tx/Rx antenna assembly, a leak detection system, a multi-probe voltage mapping system, a man-portable laser-range finder system with embedded dipole beacon, and other detachable accessory sensor systems are accepted for attachment to the locator system for simultaneous operation in cooperation with the basic locator system. The integration of the locator system with one or more additional devices, such as fault-finding, geophones and conductance sensors, may be used to facilitate the rapid detection and localization of many different types of buried objects. | 09-27-2012 |
20120256821 | USER INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND METHODS - User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals. | 10-11-2012 |
20120306603 | MAGNETICALLY SENSED USER INTERFACE APPARATUS AND DEVICES - A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other. The user interface device may further include a deformable actuator sub-assembly, which may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets in a movable configuration relative to each other. A base assembly may include multi-axis magnetic sensors corresponding to the magnets in the magnet arrays to sense position of motion of the magnets during user displacements and/or deformation of actuator elements of the user interface device. | 12-06-2012 |
20140132270 | QUAD-GRADIENT COILS FOR USE IN LOCATING SYSTEMS - Buried object locators including an omnidirectional antenna array and a quad gradient array are disclosed. A locator display may include information associated with a buried object based on both omnidirectional antenna array signals and quad gradient antenna array signals. | 05-15-2014 |
20140139223 | GRADIENT ANTENNA COILS AND ARRAYS FOR USE IN LOCATING SYSTEMS - Buried object locators including an omnidirectional antenna array and a gradient array are disclosed. A locator display may include information associated with a buried object based on both omnidirectional antenna array signals and gradient antenna array signals. | 05-22-2014 |
20140159729 | OMNI-INDUCER TRANSMITTING DEVICES AND METHODS - Omnidirectional electromagnetic signal inducer (omni-inducer) devices are disclosed. The omni-inducer device may include a housing, which may include a conductive base for coupling signals to ground, and an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies, where the node may be disposed on or within the housing. The omni-inducer device may further include one or more transmitter modules for generating ones of a plurality of output signals, which may be generated at ones of a plurality of different frequencies, and one or more control circuits configured to control the transmitters and/or other circuits to selectively switch the ones of the plurality of output signals between ones of the plurality of antenna coil assemblies. | 06-12-2014 |
20140266213 | OMNI-INDUCER TRANSMITTING DEVICES AND METHODS - Omnidirectional electromagnetic signal inducer (omni-inducer) devices are disclosed. The omni-inducer device may include a housing, which may include a conductive base for coupling signals to ground, and an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies, where the node may be disposed on or within the housing. The omni-inducer device may further include one or more transmitter modules for generating ones of a plurality of output signals, which may be generated at ones of a plurality of different frequencies, and one or more control circuits configured to control the transmitters and/or other circuits to selectively switch the ones of the plurality of output signals between ones of the plurality of antenna coil assemblies. | 09-18-2014 |
20150009127 | DEFORMABLE USER INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND METHODS - User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals. | 01-08-2015 |
20160003961 | UTILITY LOCATOR APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Man-portable locator systems for locating buried or otherwise inaccessible pipes, conduits, cables, wires and inserted transmitters using detector arrays and stochastic signal processing and similar techniques to analyze and display multiple target objects at differing frequencies in a layered user interface (UI) are disclosed. | 01-07-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090037058 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE WITH A SEQUENCE OF VEHICLE EVENTS - A system and method for controlling a vehicle with a sequence of vehicle events. A user interface allows the recording of vehicle functions that are being manually executed. After the vehicle functions are entered, they can be saved as a sequence and named appropriately. Once saved, the operator can choose to edit the sequence functions or distances to make adjustments or shift the entire sequence in time. The saved sequence can be executed at a certain distance relative to a boundary being crossed by the machine. The boundaries themselves may be pre-defined in the system, and the system can determine when the boundary is crossed based on real-time GPS position and speed measurements from the vehicle. Error distances can also be measured on the ground to determine what type of sequence shift is needed for fine-tuning. As the vehicle speed is adjusted, the sequence can be continually tuned to allow the sequence to execute accurately in a variety of operations. | 02-05-2009 |
20110238269 | Tractor-Implement Control System And Method - An implement is coupled to and pulled by a tractor. The tractor includes ground engaging drive wheels driven by an engine, an operator movable speed command device, and a tractor controller having automatic and manual speed control modes. The implement has an implement control unit coupled to the tractor controller. The implement control unit transmits an implement speed request signal to the tractor controller. The tractor controller controls tractor motion in response to operation of the speed command device and the implement speed request signal. A system and method of controlling the tractor/implement combination includes generating an Operator Speed Limit value as a function of the speed command device, comparing the Operator Speed Limit value to the implement speed request signal, and automatically exiting the automatic speed control mode and enabling the manual speed control mode if the Operator Speed Limit remains greater than the implement speed request for the duration of a predetermined time period and if the Operator Speed Limit value has been increased. | 09-29-2011 |
20140058637 | TRACTOR-IMPLEMENT CONTROL SYSTEM - A tractor includes an electronic tractor controller. A baler includes an electronic baler controller. The baler controller submits a halt signal to the tractor controller when a bale size is equal to or exceeds a first predetermined size. The baler controller generates a tractor halt signal in response to certain conditions of the baler system and the tractor controller preventing tractor motion in response to the halt signal. When the baler controller is generating the halt signal, tractor motion is enabled if the operator commands the tractor to move by manipulating the command device, and within a certain time period of said command being issued, the baler controller generates a tractor motion enabling signal in response a status of the baler system. When the baler controller is generating the halt signal, tractor motion is enabled if the operator moves the tractor command device in a special manner. | 02-27-2014 |
20140325419 | VIRTUAL TERMINAL DISPLAY FOR A VEHICLE - A system and method for displaying data associated with an embedded system is provided that may include a vehicle data bus, an electronic control unit, and a display unit. The display unit may be configured to render a graphical user interface for the electronic control unit. Data may be exchanged between the electronic control unit and the display unit via the vehicle data bus in partial compliance with a virtual terminal protocol, where full compliance with the virtual terminal protocol requires that the graphical user interface rendered by the display unit be defined and controlled by the electronic control unit. Contrary to the requirement of full compliance with the virtual terminal protocol, the graphical user interface in the display unit may be defined and controlled by the display unit. | 10-30-2014 |