Qualstar Corporation

Crossoff Incorporated

Northridge Associates LLC

Village Renewables Fund LLC

Mark H Helmick

William J Gervais

William J Lurie

Chris Outwater

William J Lurie, Jr

A touchless input device for a computer replaces a computer mouse and does not require physical contact between the user-operator and any part of the input device. The touchless input device uses multiple, linear near infrared, optical sensors and multiple near infrared light emitters working in a plane in space, all held inside a frame with an opening that defines the detection region. The device images the plane and processes the images to determine the presence, location and velocity of objects in the plane. The operator introduces an object, such as a finger, into the plane and moves the object in the plane to emulate the motion of a computer mouse across a desktop. Mouse buttons and other functions are emulated by unique motions in the plane. The device communicates these motions and events to the computer typically using a Universal Serial Bus.

Touchless pointing device

A method and system for using a secondary energy source with an electric or hybrid vehicle in a way that requires no interaction with the vehicle's on-board communications system or the vehicle's processors. The secondary energy source, which can be a battery pack or any energy storage device, can generally be charged at home or business using the 110 volt line. The energy from the secondary source can be metered into the system in a way that allows the primary battery state-of-charge to fluctuate normally. Most of the electrical energy propelling the vehicle can come from the secondary source. All of the regenerative energy from braking can go into the primary battery. A controller can control a regulator to regulate the amount of current flowing from the secondary source.

System and method for managing energy use in an electric vehicle

A high density tape library includes a plurality of rectangular platforms mounted adjacent one another for movement in a plane, with tape cassette magazines mounted on the platforms. The platforms have depending guide and cam follower members for movement around a generally rectangular track under the control of a series of cams. At a cassette handling station, selected tape cassettes are shifted from a magazine to a tape drive.

High density tape library system

A compact tape cassette or cartridge storage and accessing system includes a longitudinally extending frame with two endless link chains, one on each side of the frame; and cassette carriers are mounted in two layers by linkages to the chains, with one layer moving forward and the other to the rear. At the ends, a cam follower on each cassette carrier, and a control groove, and associate guide and latch members, tilt the cassette carriers to smoothly shift them from one layer to the other. With 8 mm tape cassettes, the height of the system is within 1&frac34; inches, for compatibility with standard electrical equipment racks.

Tape cassette storage and accessing system with closely spaced layered cassettes

A composite authentication mark includes a bar code portion that is visible when illuminated with visible light and an invisible code portion that is not visible when illuminated with visible light, wherein the bar code portion includes a plurality of bars and spaces and the invisible code portion is arranged in at least one of the spaces of the bar code portion without overlapping any of the bars of the bar code portion. Because the invisible code portion does not overlap with any of the bars of the bar code portion, a single-step printing and reading processes may be used. More information can be coded by the composite authentication mark by using the relative location of the invisible code portion within the spaces of the bar code portion.

Composite authentication mark and system and method for reading the same

A cassette handling system has a plurality of storage units each storing a plurality of cassettes and at least one tape drive unit. A carrier assembly transports a cassette from one unit to another by extracting the cassette from one of the units and inserting the cassette into another unit. An engaging assembly with a pair of couplers is mounted on a carrier of the carrier assembly. The couplers engage the cassette and hold the cassette above a reference platen on the top of the carrier. The reference platen defines a position from which the cassette is insertable into the units without obstruction. The engaging assembly disengages the cassette onto the reference platen and immediately re-engages the cassette in an accurately determined vertical position. The cassette is then inserted into the desired unit. The carrier assembly also has a threaded shaft which is tensioned for avoiding or damping vibration due to the movement of various components thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Ventura, CA, United States of America

Mark H Helmick