Carl F Ruoff

US Patent:

45133174, Apr 23, 1985

Filed:

Sep 28, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/425204

Inventors:

Carl F. Ruoff - La Crescenta CA

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

H04N 718

US Classification:

358133

Abstract:

A remote television viewing system employing an eye tracker is disclosed, wherein a small region of the image appears in high resolution, and the remainder of the image appears in low resolution. The eye tracker monitors the position of the viewer's line of sight. The eye tracker position data is transmitted to the remote television camera and control. Both the remote camera and television display are adapted to have selectable high-resolution and low-resolution raster scan modes. The position data from the eye tracker is used to determine the point at which the high-resolution scan is to commence. The video data defining the observed image is encoded in a novel format, wherein in each data field, the data representing the position of the high-resolution region of predetermined size appears first, followed by the high-resolution zone video data and then the low-resolution region data. As the viewer's line of sight relative to the displayed image changes, the position of the high-resolution region changes to track the viewer's line of sight.

US Patent:

49212931, May 1, 1990

Filed:

Dec 12, 1984

Appl. No.:

6/680605

Inventors:

Carl F. Ruoff - La Crescenta CA
J. Kenneth Salisbury - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

B25J 1510

US Classification:

294111

Abstract:

A robotic hand having a plurality of fingers, each having a plurality of joints pivotally connected one to the other, with actuators connected at one end to an actuating and control mechanism mounted remotely from the hand and at the other end to the joints of the fingers for manipulating the fingers and passing externally of the robot manipulating arm in between the hand and the actuating and control mechanism. The fingers include pulleys to route the actuators within the fingers. Cable tension sensing structure mounted on a portion of the hand are disclosed, as is the covering of the tip of each finger with a resilient and pliable friction enhancing surface.

US Patent:

45589119, Dec 17, 1985

Filed:

Dec 21, 1983

Appl. No.:

6/564470

Inventors:

Carl F. Ruoff - La Crescenta CA

Assignee:

California Institute of Technology - Pasadena CA

International Classification:

H01R 3902

US Classification:

339 5M

Abstract:

A robot joint comprising first and second link members having respective congruent arcuate surfaces joined by complementary flexible metal bands and having an integral potentiometer transducer mechanism.