Other

Transbiotec, Inc.

Landon Duval

Ronald L Williams

A steering wheel has a structural skeleton forming a core within an outer covering, the covering and skeleton forming a hub portion having at least one arm interconnecting the hub portion with an outer wheel portion. The skeleton within the outer wheel portion has a U-shaped cross sectional conformation. A wire harness is positioned within the U-shaped conformation of the outer wheel portion and a plurality of ethanol detectors are mounted in spaced apart relationship within the outer wheel portion and adjacent to an outer surface of the steering wheel. The ethanol detectors communicate with the wire harness and an electrical circuit, the circuit engaging the hub portion of the skeleton. The circuit is in communication with the wire harness for receiving electrical signals from the ethanol detectors for sensing ethanol vapors in proximity to at least one of the ethanol detectors.

Engagement of a sensor system with a vehicle operating device

A spectrometer for infrared reflectance measurements of samples for identification of the sample materials is built into a steering wheel assembly. The spectrometer includes a window and optics on a bench adjacent the window, so that the optics will be aligned with the sample when the device is placed in optical alignment with or directly against the sample. The optics include a broad-band IR light source (ordinary lamp) shining onto an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), which passes narrow-band IR light with a swept frequency; a lens focusing the IR through the window onto the sample; and a reflectance detector aligned with the window of the spectrometer to pick up reflected light. A computer, which may be mounted in the spectrometer, compares the detected reflectance spectrum with stored sample data spectra, and identifies the material or the components of the material and their proportions. When a control substance is detected an alarm signal is produced.

Substance detection and alarm using a spectrometer built into a steering wheel assembly

A fastener apparatus comprises in combination, a mechanical binding device such as a staple. The staple engages substrates such as sheets of paper forming a document. A microcomputer is mounted integrally with the staple and includes a data storage device such as a solid state memory providing a capacity for receiving and transferring a quantity of digital data. The microcomputer also provides a data processing device such as a microprocessor which provides a capacity for calculation using the digital data. A bi-directional data transfer port is adapted for receiving the digital data for transfer to the data storage device and to the data processing device and for transferring the digital data from the data storage device and from the data processing device. Data may be stored and retrieved electrostatically, magnetically, optically and mechanically so as to identify the document for identification and retrieval.

Intelligent fasteners

An apparatus and method for assuring that a machine operator is not under the influence of a chemical, comprising a first sensor positioned proximally to the machine operator and adapted for, measuring a vapor concentration proximal thereto, a second sensor positioned distally from the machine operator and adapted for measuring the vapor concentration distally from the operator, a device for comparing the proximal and distal vapor concentrations, and an automated remediating device responsive to the comparing device when the ratio of the first and the second vapor concentrations are within a specified range.

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Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

Landon Duval