USPTO Operating Status With 2019 Gov’t Shutdown – January 24, 2019.
Via the USPTO website on January 24, 2019 – About 3 more weeks of funding for patent operations, and about 11 weeks of funding left for trademark operations.
They Invented What? (No. 83)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,328: Body supported sports target and method.
Abstract:
To entertain fans at sporting events, such as baseball, basketball backboards, palm trees, hockey and soccer goals are provided as targets for fans to participate by tossing objects at the target. Targets are strapped to a person moving through the stands. In one configuration the target is attached to a backpack and raised over the head using a telescoping mechanism attached between the target and the backpack worn by the operator. In another configuration the target is attached to a helmet worn by the person working the crowd. Both the helmet and backpack arrangement use mounting brackets for attachment of the target members. To telescope the target overhead from the backpack, concentric tubes are extended from within each other using a pulley and cable system controlled by the operator.
What is claimed is:
1. A body…
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They Invented What? (No. 82)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,911: Less lethal weapon attachable to lethal weapon.
JW Note: To quote Miracle Max from The Princess Bride, “It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead.”
What is claimed is:
1. A less lethal weapon including a barrel with a rearward portion and a forward portion for propelling a plurality of projectiles seriatim out the barrel including a receiver comprising
a) a frame;
b) means for propelling projectiles out of the barrel including the receiver which means is mounted on the frame;
c) a magazine mounted spaced from and parallel to the barrel in turn comprising
i) a magazine tube containing a plurality of projectiles;
ii) an exit port communicating with the tube;
iii) a piston slidable in the magazine tube urging the projectiles toward such exit port; and
iv) gas pressure means for translating…
View original post 291 more words
They Invented What? (No. 81)
U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,178: Method of stopping a stolen car without a high-speed chase, utilizing a bar code.
What is claimed is:
1. A stopping method of a stolen car, without high speed chasing, comprised of three steps of: 1) scanning the barcode of a suspicious car, which is implanted between the inner- and outer-layer glasses of a rear safety glass, 2) comparing the read in bar code with the stolen car list in the police computer net, 3) activating the trigger by transferring the bar code and the secret code of the stolen car to the trigger installed in the stolen car to shut down the engine by cutting off the electricity supplied to it.
View original post 202 more words
They Invented What? (No. 80)
U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,828: Text-to-scene conversion.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of converting a set of words into a three-dimensional scene description, which may then be rendered into three-dimensional images. The invention may generate arbitrary scenes in response to a substantially unlimited range of input words. Scenes may be generated by combining objects, poses, facial expressions, environments, etc., so that they represent the input set of words. Poses may have generic elements so that referenced objects may be replaced by those mentioned in the input set of words. Likewise, a character may be dressed according to its role in the set of words. Various constraints for object positioning may be declared.
Claims:
What is claimed is:
1. A method of generating a scene description from a set of words, comprising:
performing a linguistic analysis on the set of words to generate a structure representative…
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They Invented What? (No. 79)
JW Note: Wishing all a Prosperous and Happy New Year 2019!
U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,850: Clock for keeping time at a rate other than human time.
JW Note: Wishing you a Prosperous and Happy New Year 2008!
What is claimed is:
1. A clock for keeping animal time, wherein animal time is defined as human time multiplied by a ratio given by the average lifespan of a human divided by the average lifespan of a type of animal whereby an animal second is equal to one human second divided by said ratio, one animal minute is equal to one human minute divided by said ratio, one animal hour is equal to one human hour divided by said ratio, and one animal day is equal to one human day divided by said ratio, said clock comprising:
a housing;
means for generating a reference frequency;
first means responsive to said generating means for producing pulses at a rate…
View original post 499 more words
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