1329 results about "Control electronics" patented technology

A permanent magnet DC brushless motor control assembly permits a user to select the permanent magnet DC brushless motor operating characteristics by selecting appropriate control circuits to interface with the motor. The assembly includes a permanent magnet DC brushless motor, a commutator electrically coupled to the motor, and at least one control module electrically coupled to the commutator, to control operating characteristics of the permanent magnet DC brushless motor.

A high dimensional touchpad (HDTP) controls a variety of computer windows systems and applications by detecting a user's finger movement in the left-right, forward-backward, roll, pitch, yaw, and downward pressure directions. Measurements obtained from the touchpad of at least two attributes of finger movement at two different time intervals are used to provide a first and a second finger position attribute used to control an application on an electronic device. The finger roll angle is determined by detecting the edge and the peak region of a finger contact area. Also, a visual color displayed in an application operating on an electronic device is controlled by a measured-angle value of a finger in contact with a touchpad.

A system, method and computer application for electronic equipment 10 having a contact-less user input device that is capable of detecting and/or sensing user movement (e.g., gestures) and controlling one or more parameters associated with the electronic equipment and/or being executed on the electronic equipment based at least in part on the detected and/or sensed user movement is disclosed. A predetermined movement may be detected by the movement detection circuitry (e.g., camera, infrared sensors, etc.) and a corresponding user controllable feature or parameter of the electronic equipment and/or application program may be controlled based upon the detected predetermined movement. The controllable feature may vary based upon the type of application being executed by the electronic equipment and velocity and/or acceleration of the object being detected.

The present invention is directed to a gas line electron beam exciter, gas line electron beam excitation system and method for exciting a gas using an electron beam exciter. The electron beam exciter generally comprises a variable density electron source for generating a cloud of electrons in an electron chamber and a variable energy electron extractor for accelerating electrons from the electron chamber as an electron beam and into an effluent stream for fluorescing species in the effluent. The electron density of the electron beam is variably controlled by adjusting the excitation power applied to the variable density electron source. The electrons in the electron chamber reside at a reference electrical potential of the chamber, typically near ground electrical potential. The electron energy of the electron beam is variably controlled by adjusting an electrical potential across the variable energy electron extractor, which energizes the electrons through an extraction hole of the chamber and toward the extractor. The greater the difference in the electrical potential between the electron extractor and the electron source, the higher the energy imparted to the electrons in the electron beam. The excitation power applied to the electron source can be adjusted independently from the electron energy of the electron beam, thereby altering the electron density of the electron beam without changing the energy level of the electrons of the electron beam.

This relates to systems and processes for using a virtual assistant to arbitrate among and/or control electronic devices. In one example process, a first electronic device samples an audio input using a microphone. The first electronic device broadcasts a first set of one or more values based on the sampled audio input. Furthermore, the first electronic device receives a second set of one or more values, which are based on the audio input, from a second electronic device. Based on the first set of one or more values and the second set of one or more values, the first electronic device determines whether to respond to the audio input or forego responding to the audio input.

Apparatus and methods for cooling and/or heating selected regions within a body are described herein. An implantable system is used to cool or heat nerve bodies down to about 15° C. to diminish nerve impulses. In one embodiment, the system can include an implantable unit containing a pumping mechanism and/or various control electronics. The system has a cooling element. The cooling element can be a Peltier junction or a catheter through which hot or cold fluid flows. The heated portion of the Peltier junction can be cooled by a liquid heat transfer medium which absorbs the heat from the junction and dissipates the heat elsewhere.

Management or coordination of playback of digital media assets by an electronic device (e.g., a computing device), that supports media playback is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the electronic device can be controlled such that a user is able to schedule playback of distinct digital media assets.

Devices and systems are provided for controlling electronic devices using a mobile remote control device. A mobile remote control device provides an interface to control a plurality of electronic devices. The mobile device has a unique identifier, and the electronic device transmits a presentation of a remote control to the mobile device. A user of the mobile device controls the electronic device by operating the “virtual” remote control displayed on the mobile device. The user may further define his or her custom remote control. The user may define batches of commands, or “macros” that transmit a specific series of commands to one or more electronic devices. Proximity and motion of a mobile device may be used as an input, such that the electronic devices are programmed to react in specific ways depending upon the position and movement of the user of the mobile device.

A variable footwear support system includes at least one rheological body within a sole of an article of footwear, control electronics within the article of footwear, and at least one E/M field generator coupled to the control electronics and arranged operably proximate to at least one rheological body. The sole is formed of a resilient material and the rheological body contains a Theological fluid having a viscosity that is variable in the presence of an energy field. The control electronics is adapted to generate at least one control signal. The at least one E/M field generator is adapted to generate an energy field corresponding to a control signal generated by the control electronics upon the rheological body.

An enhanced liquid crystal display design is provided having relatively fast response time particularly useful in high speed or highly intense applications, such as stereoscopic or autostereoscopic image display. The liquid crystal display device is configured to display stereoscopic images, and comprises an LCD panel and control electronics configured to drive the LCD panel to a desired stereoscopic display state. The control electronics are configured to employ transient phase switching and overdrive the LCD panel to a desired state to enable relatively rapid display of stereoscopic images.

A game controller of the type held in two hands simultaneously for controlling electronic games, including a housing, a plurality of depressible surfaces at least in-part exposed on the housing with the depressible surfaces in operational association with electricity manipulating devices contained within the housing and controlled by depression of the depressible surfaces for manipulating electrical outputs at least useful for controlling electronic games. At least one of the electricity manipulating devices is a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for creating an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied to at least one depressible surface. The analog electrical output is output as a signal at least representational of the analog electrical output to an image generation machine for controlling electronic imagery. Also disclosed are methods of use and manufacture of game controllers having at least one pressure-sensitive analog sensor.

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to control an application interface displayed on electronic paper. A detection module is included to detect intentional bending of an electronic paper at a particular location. A correlation module is included to correlate the particular location where the electronic paper is bent with a user interface command in an application. An execution module is included to execute the user interface command. In one embodiment, a display module is included to update display information on the electronic paper in response to execution of the user interface command. The electronic paper may include a detector in contact with the electronic paper to provide electronic paper bend position information to the detection module.

A method and apparatus for controlling display of an electronic device are provided. The method includes selecting a specific area of a screen by a user, and switching a display on/off status of the selected specific area of a screen. Wherein, the switching of the display on/off status comprises determining whether display of the specific area is on or off, and, if it is determined that the display of the specific area is on, supplying current to a pixel corresponding to the specific area, and, if it is determined that the display of the specific area is off, discontinuing the supply of the current to the pixel in the specific area.

Provided is a method and apparatus for controlling a user interface (UI) of an electronic device by using a specific region of a virtual plane. In the method, the virtual plane is initialized according to spatial coordinates of two or more images detected by using locations of the images displayed in an image display unit of a first image capture device and an image display unit of a second image capture device. Furthermore, the location of a marker is determined and is indicated by a specific image on the virtual plane. Furthermore, a screen pointer corresponding to the marker is displayed at a position where the marker is located in an image display unit corresponding to the virtual plane. Furthermore, a menu of the electronic device is selected which is pointed to by the screen pointer while moving the marker. Accordingly, a user can conveniently control the UI of the electronic device by performing a simple operation.

Methods and apparatus include an input device for controlling an electronic device. The input device includes concentric touch pads. Contact with the touch pads includes tapping and/or sliding movement in order to provide signals that are processed and sent to the electronic device, which performs operations based on these inputs.

An opto-electronic integrated circuit (OEIC) includes an SOI substrate, a set of composite optical transmitters, a set of composite optical receivers, and control electronics disposed in the substrate and electrically coupled to the set of composite optical transmitters and receivers. Each of the composite optical transmitters includes a gain medium including a compound semiconductor material and an optical modulator. Each of the composite optical receivers includes a waveguide disposed in the SOI substrate, an optical detector bonded to the SOI substrate, and a bonding region disposed between the SOI substrate and the optical detector. The bonding region includes a metal-assisted bond at a first portion of the bonding region and a direct semiconductor-semiconductor bond at a second portion of the bonding region. The OEIC also includes control electronics disposed in the SOI substrate and electrically coupled to the set of composite optical transmitters and the set of composite optical receivers.

A method of controlling an electronic device, an electronic device and a computer program product using the method are provided. The method includes displaying part or all of a ring and a function image outside the ring on the touch screen while the electronic device is in a user-interface lock state, detecting a user input applied to the function image and/or the ring on or near the touch screen, moving the function image and/or the ring in accordance with the user input, wherein the function image corresponds to an application, transitioning the electronic device to a user-interface unlock state and launching the application if the function image and the ring approach each other within a predetermined distance, and maintaining the electronic device in the user-interface lock state if the function image and the ring do not approach each other within the predetermined distance.

Enhanced accuracy finger position and motion sensors devices, algorithms, and methods are disclosed that can be used in a variety of different applications. The sensors can be used in conjunction with partial fingerprint imagers to produce improved fingerprint scanners. The finger motion sensors may also be used (either with or without a partial fingerprint imager) to produce highly accurate fingerprint images as well as to control electronic devices. Here improved signal analysis algorithms and methods are disclosed that enable finger position to be determined with higher levels of accuracy as the finger is swiped over finger position sensing arrays. These algorithms are particularly useful for deep finger penetrating radio frequency (RF) based sensing arrays.

An optical element is disclosed, for receiving relatively narrow light from a planar light-emitting diode (LED) source, and for redistributing the light into a relatively wide range of output angles that span a full 360 degrees. The element may be used to retrofit existing fixtures that were originally designed for incandescent bulbs with LED-based light sources that have similar emission profiles. The element is small enough so that it may be packaged along with an LED module and its control electronics in the volume envelope of an incandescent light bulb. An exemplary element is a single, transparent, rotationally-symmetric lens that has a batwing shape in cross-section, extending angularly away from a longitudinal axis. The lens also includes a variety of curved, straight, specular and optionally diffuse portions on its longitudinal and transverse faces, all of which cause a variety of internal and external reflections, refractions, and optionally scattering. As such, many of the specific lens features cannot be directly linked to specific optical effects at a particular angle; rather, the features all interact with each other to produce the wide-angle light output.

A control command transmission apparatus for controlling devices in a home network system environment is disclosed. A control command transmission apparatus includes a key input unit for inputting a user's operation signal to control corresponding electronic devices connected to the home network system; a sensor for detecting the user's motion applied to the control command transmission apparatus to control the electronic devices; a location identification unit for identifying the location of the control command transmission apparatus of the home network system; a command generator for generating a command corresponding to the motion detected by the sensor; and an interface for communicating with a home server to which the electronic devices are connected, and for transmitting the command generated by the command generator to the home server. Accordingly, the present invention provides convenient use of electronic devices connected to a home network system.

A system and method for controlling the downstream preservation and destruction of electronic mail by encrypting the electronic mail and limiting access to the encrypted file based on registration of recipient e-mail addresses, and detection and restriction of output functionality available to the recipient. The registration procedure limits access to recipients included on an access control list, who receive a pre-configured reader and then authenticate their e-mail address to the reader via a known SMTP Server. The sender of an e-mail is provided with a dialog for determining the limitations on access to the e-mail by the recipient: whether the e-mail is to be inaccessible after a certain period of time, whether a recipient may copy or print the e-mail and/or its attachments, or whether a password is required to read the e-mail. These limitations comprise an access control policy applicable to the e-mail, the pre-configured reader being adapted to decrypt the e-mail and apply the policy.

A method and an apparatus for controlling an electronic device according to a user interaction occurring in a space neighboring the electronic device. The method for controlling an electronic device using an input interaction includes: recognizing at least one interaction occurring in a space neighboring the electronic device; and controlling the electronic device corresponding to the at least one interaction.

A high-efficiency power converter converts the unregulated AC electrical energy generated by an energy harvesting device to regulated quasi-continuous DC or AC power delivered to a load. A DC link capacitor stores energy from the AC input. Control electronics alternately transfers regulated power to the load and recharges the capacitor in accordance with a hysteresis window in the capacitor energy. The control electronics terminates transfer of regulated power to the load and initiates recharging of the capacitor when the capacitor voltage, hence energy falls below a lower threshold and terminates capacitor charging and initiates power transfer when the capacitor voltage, hence energy exceeds an upper threshold.

An oral care gaming system and methods are provided for promoting and rewarding proper oral care techniques and behaviors and for controlling an electronic and/or video game. The system and methods enable a user to play an electronic and/or video game while performing certain oral care activities. The efficacy of a user's oral care techniques enables the user to improve their game play and to achieve the goals of the game. The system includes an oral care tool configured as a game enabler/controller and a base unit configured as an electronic gaming apparatus. Using the oral care tool, a user performs oral care and interacts with an electronic and/or video game the base unit implements and runs. The base unit includes a video display that displays video outputs of an electronic and/or video game. The oral care tool is actuated to enable an electronic and/or video game, and includes sensors for detecting characteristics of a user's oral care techniques and behaviors that serve as inputs to an electronic and/or video game.

An x-ray generating device includes a field emission cathode formed at least partially from a nanostructure-containing material having an emitted electron current density of at least 4 A/cm². High energy conversion efficiency and compact design are achieved due to easy focusing of cold cathode emitted electrons and dramatic reduction of heating at the anode. In addition, by pulsing the field between the cathode and the gate or anode and focusing the electron beams at different anode materials, pulsed x-ray radiation with varying energy can be generated from a single device. Methods and apparatus for independent control of electron emission current and x-ray energy in x-ray tubes are also provided. The independent control can be accomplished by adjusting the distance between the cathode and anode. The independent control can also be accomplished by adjusting the temperature of the cathode. The independent control can also be accomplished by optical excitation of the cathode. The cathode can include field emissive materials such as carbon nanotubes.

A network solution for integrated control of electronic devices between different sites is provided to enable complete control of home electronic devices, automotive devices, watercraft devices and aircraft electronic device with an affordable cost to the general public. The network solution has a hardware solution and a software solution integrated with each other. The hardware has a main server located at a first site to link with and control various electronic devices located at the first site, and a computer located at a second site to link with and control various electronic devices at the second site. The software provides a user interface program for interfacing the main server and the computer with the electronic devices linked therewith, respectively, and an internetworking model interacting with the user interface program to communicate the main server and the computer. Therefore, the user is able to control the electronic devices at a distant site.

A non-contact storage device includes a housing, an antenna coupled to the housing, electronic circuitry coupled to the antenna, control electronics adapted to generate a control signal when at least one predetermined event has occurred between the electronic circuitry and the card reader, and a tactile sensation generator coupled to the housing and connected to the electronic circuitry. The housing is adapted to be contacted by a user. The electronic circuitry includes a data memory and a transceiver for transferring data between the memory and a card reader via the antenna. The tactile sensation generator is configured to generate a tactile sensation corresponding to the control signal. Accordingly, the tactile sensation is adapted to be felt by a user via the housing to thereby inform the user of the occurrence of the at least one predetermined event.

Aspects of the present invention provide electronics for controlling and synchronizing operation of electro-active lenses regardless of frame type, size or style. The controlling electronics can be contained within one or more electronic modules positioned within the frame temples and can be removable and reprogrammable and can include inductive charge regions. Conductive links between electronic modules and/or between left and right sides of the electro-active spectacles can include left and right upper and lower rim portions of the frame, the bridge, conductive layers of the electro-active lenses, the upper and lower grooves of the electro-active lenses, and/or wires embedded within any portion of the frame. Aspects of the present invention also provide chargers for recharging electro-active spectacles of any size, shape or style using adjustable inductive charging cradles to inductively charge electro-active spectacles of the present invention.

An electromechanically-assisted control system for use in a second-stage regulator. Regulator control assembly (20), also referred to as EMA assembly (20), includes a mechanical actuator sub-assembly (21) and an electromechanical actuator (EMA) sub-assembly (22) for controlling airflow through single air supply line (23). EMA sub-assembly (22) includes electronically controllable actuator (ECA) (34), which removably seals EMA orifice (36) in wall (30) of pilot chamber (32). ECA (34) is electrically connected with and controlled by control electronics (38). The control electronics include programmable microprocessor (40), which is electrically connected with charge and discharge electronics (42), both of which are electrically connected with power supply (44). Alternatively, regulator control assembly (20′), also referred to as all-electronic (AE) assembly (20′), has only an EMA sub-assembly and no mechanical actuator sub-assembly. AE assembly (20′) does not include a low-pressure diaphragm, a lever arm, a first valve, or a pilot jet orifice.

A compact cartridge for an afterloader includes a housing containing a radioactive sourcewire and a dummy test wire, each accommodated in a helical groove on the periphery of a wire storage drum. The wires are contained in the grooves by low friction bearings, such as rollers, so that advancement of the wire from the drum is under very low friction conditions. The cartridge is removably inserted in the head of an afterloader apparatus and engages a primary drive system and an emergency retract mechanism mounted in the head. The cartridge also contains an electronics board with software for updating the software in the control electronics for the afterloader.