Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120058456 | Casting Training Aid Including A Target Board That Depicts An Aquatic Scene - A casting training aid and method of use is disclosed, including a casting target board having a plurality of target holes, with a front side depicting an aquatic scene. The aquatic scene can depict an above-water scene, an underwater scene, and/or a water body surface. The casting training aid can also include at least one obstruction mounted on the target board and/or near target holes. This aid allows a user having a rod, line, and lure or simulated lure to practice casting at the casting training aid in order to improve the user's skill of placing the lure near the fishing target. Scores can be given for engaging a target hole with a lure, with more difficult targets yielding more points. This training aid can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels indoors or out, in a pool, lake or where ever, while improving an individual's casting skills. | 03-08-2012 |
20120094554 | Paddle-Drum Propulsion System for Propeller-Based Watercraft Engines - A watercraft propulsion system is disclosed, including: a mechanical drive assembly capable of coupling to and being driven by a power source element of a propeller-based watercraft engine; and a pair of paddle drums coupled to and driven by the mechanical drive assembly, thereby propelling the watercraft through a body of water. For example, the mechanical drive assembly is adapted to couple to a drive shaft power source element, while or to an electrical wiring power source element within a positioning shaft. | 04-19-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090086189 | Clutter Rejection in Active Object Detection Systems - According to a method and apparatus taught herein an active object detection system performs reliable object detection based on light pulse emissions and corresponding and time-of-flight based distance determination, while advantageously rejecting clutter. While not limiting, the method and apparatus taught herein may be particularly advantageous for safety-critical object detection applications, such as where the active object detection system, e.g., a laser scanner, monitors for objects of at least a specified size within a predetermined monitoring radius or contour. | 04-02-2009 |
20090322549 | Method and Apparatus for Zone Selection in Area Monitoring Devices - Zone selection logic in an area monitoring device increases the number of unique monitoring zone selections that can be selected using a limited number of discrete zone selection inputs, without compromising the safety critical operation of zone selection. The device monitors the logical state of each input in a set of individual inputs and recognizes each unique logical combination of zone selection inputs as a different zone selection. For example, each of two or more configured monitoring zones is associated with a different combinatorial zone selection pattern of asserted zone selection input signals. Correspondingly, a control circuit within the area monitoring device is configured to monitor the discrete zone selection inputs and activate a given one of the configured monitoring zones based on recognizing the associated combinatorial zone selection pattern of asserted zone selection signals. | 12-31-2009 |
20110242283 | Method and Apparatus for Generating Texture in a Three-Dimensional Scene - In one aspect of the teachings herein, a 3D imaging apparatus uses a “texture tool” or facilitates the use of such a tool by an operator, to add artificial texture to a scene being imaged, for 3D imaging of surfaces or background regions in the scene that otherwise lack sufficient texture for determining sufficiently dense 3D range data. In at least one embodiment, the 3D imaging apparatus provides for iterative or interactive imaging, such as by dynamically indicating that one or more regions of the scene require artificial texturing via the texture tool for accurate 3D imaging, and then indicating whether or not the addition of artificial texture cured the texture deficiency and/or whether any other regions within the image require additional texture. | 10-06-2011 |
20120123563 | Method and Apparatus for Monitoring Zones - The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for monitoring a zone, which is a contiguous or non-contiguous, two-dimensional (2D) area or three-dimensional (3D) volume. Among its several advantages, the apparatus includes a plurality of sensors that monitor portions of the zone and report intrusion status to a control unit that provides monitoring boundary information to each of the sensors based on user input and further “maps” or otherwise associates each sensor to control unit outputs in accordance with user-defined behaviors. Still further, as a meaningful aid for configuring monitoring boundaries used by the sensors for objection intrusion detection, in one or more embodiments of the apparatus and method, at least a subset of sensors use a common coordinate frame of reference, based on a common origin located within overlapping sensor fields of view. | 05-17-2012 |
20130300835 | Method and Apparatus to Guarantee Minimum Contrast for Machine Vision System - In one aspect, this disclosure presents a method and apparatus for verifying that minimum object contrast requirements are met within a region representing a volume to be monitored by a machine vision system. In complementary fashion, the disclosure also presents a methodology for constraining the positions of the lighting sources to be used for illuminating the monitored volume at a minimum height above the floor, and for the use of a key light that provides asymmetrical lighting within the monitored volume relative to the camera(s) used for imaging the monitored volume. Correspondingly, the disclosure also presents a method and apparatus for monitoring for proper operation of the key light and responding to improper operation. The minimum contrast verification and key light monitoring operations can be implemented using standalone apparatuses, or can be incorporated into the machine vision system. | 11-14-2013 |