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Imagineered Products and Services
Examples of Imagineered Products & Services
Updated on:
Monday, September 17, 2007 02:22 PM |
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Imagineered Products & Services: Examples of
Imagineered Products & Services
Introduction to Wind Energy -
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This section describes some products and service ideas that have either come from my imagination as long as 40 years ago or are
based on scientific research that hint at some new products. Some of the ideas listed have since become commercially available.
In addition to the ideas listed below, I also have some more detailed discussions. |
GOOD USES FOR BAD MEMORY CHIPS (7)
Defective static C-MOS RAM ICs are worthless for digital computers. With just one bad memory cell the whole chip is useless to a computer. However, these defective chips need not be wasted.
Perhaps several bad chips could be connected together and used to store short digitized audio messages. A few bad memory cells within each chip would have little effect on the overall audio
quality of the message. These defective chips might be used effectively to build an audio message player. Since defective chips could be purchased at a small fraction of the cost of the
flawless chips, the purchase price of such a device might even become cheaper than an audio player using magnetic tape. With no moving parts such a machine might become very useful for
messages which are played over and over. Using defective chips in this way could be an ideal way for memory chip manufactures to recover some of their losses from imperfect IC production.
Perhaps you can imagine other uses for defective ICs. |
LET'S CALL IT A "REFORMER" (8)
In the world of electronics, inductors and capacitors are like Siamese twins. They behave like mirror images of each other. In virtually every circuit that relies on an inductor, similar
circuits exist using capacitors. I believe that this parallel nature of the two devices points us toward a device that should exist but has, so far, not been invented.
As any student in electronics knows that an inductor operates using the principle of a changing magnetic field. It is usually used to control current.
Conversely, a capacitor relies on a changing electric field and is most often used to control voltage. A transformer, which is a special form of an inductor, can alter both voltage levels
and current levels using windings that share a central changing magnetic field. The parallel nature of inductors and capacitors suggests that a similar device, which would operate on a
changing electric field, should exist. Perhaps this new device, I'll call it a "reformer", would use some type of special capacitor network with primary and secondary plates. Maybe the plate
ratio would determine the step-up or step-down voltage and current ratios. Once developed the "reformer" might furnish more efficiency, a better power to weight ratio and may even be less
expensive than an iron core transformer. So why doesn't someone invent one? It is certainly something to think about. |
ELECTRONIC DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICE (9)
Many consumer product catalogs offer pocket size electronic distance measuring devices. With a push of a button they can quickly measure the distance from one wall to another without the
nuisance of a tape measure. However since all these electronic devices operate using ultrasonic measurement techniques they have a limited range and do not work very well outdoors. I believe
that a device using an optical approach could be developed to greatly enhance the range of such products. I imagine the device to be shaped somewhat like a pocket camera. It would be able to
accurately measure distances to any visible object up to several hundred feet away. Larger industrial-grade devices might also be developed to extend the useable range to perhaps several
thousand feet. The gadget would use an inexpensive light source (not a laser) that would generate very narrow but powerful light pulses. The instrument would measure the time needed for the
light pulses to reach the target object, bounce off and then return to the unit. The user would simply look through the viewer on the device like a camera, line up the cross hairs with the
object and push a button. Instantly, he would receive a digital readout of the distance to the object. I think construction contractors, real estate agents and even the weekend
do-it-yourself homeowner would all find such a device useful. |
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IDENT-O-PAINT, ENCODED PAINT CHIPS (10)
Earth resource satellites are now able to pinpoint very special minerals from space using the unique reflective properties of all materials. These remote sensing techniques analyze the
colors of the reflected sunlight from the materials. The unique spectrum of the colors identifies the material. Taking advantage of this characteristic I imagine a special paint that might
contain a mixture of unique phosphors. Like paint that glows brightly under ultraviolet light, the special phosphor paint would emit a very specific collection of colors. The presence or
absence of the special phosphors could be organized to form an identity code that would be very difficult to tamper with. A micro miniature dot of such paint might contain up to 32 specific
phosphors which would give a single dot the ability to identify over 4 billion items. I don't see such a material replacing the easier to read bar codes, which are used on nearly all grocery
food items, but I can imagine it being used to identity items that would only need infrequent scanning. As an example, it might be used to identify pets, children, cars, machines, electronic
components, explosives, military parts or even currency. |
PERSONAL INFORMATION DISK READING DEVICE (11)
Let's imagine combining a few new technologies into a new product. Take a small-sized optical disk reader and combine it with a miniature TV like display. What do you have? Maybe something
for the eye as the Sony "Walkman" is to the ear. No, not a miniature television but a device for viewing information stored on a computer disk. The invention might be similar in size and
shape to an audio cassette tape player. Control buttons on the unit would permit the user to access and manipulate the information stored on the data disk placed in the reading machine as
pages in a book. The user would be able to view the disk index and table of contents, be able to look at the beginning or end on any document, scroll up and down or page forward and
backward. Each disk might be able to store about 300 megabytes of data. Imagine a college student being able to purchase a disk containing one hundred text books worth of information.
Newspapers, magazines and books of all kinds might be made available on disks. Perhaps airport newsstands would sell travelers whole collections of readable material. Maybe some special
computer hardware might also be available to allow the disk reader owner to record his own information onto the diskettes. Possibly a more advanced model, equipped with two view screens,
might even be able to produce stereoscopic pictures for some more interesting effects. I think such a device would greatly enhance the flow of information without paper. |
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