InventorsNOVEMBER 2016 Volume 32 Issue 11 DIGEST TV SHOW GADGETS GOING WHERE NONE HAD GONE BEFORE KNOW YOUR ODDS ASSESS RISK FOR YOUR INVENTION IDEA THANKS FOR THEIR GIVING COMPANIES, NONPROFITS THAT HELP OTHERS SCOOTER DAD CREATION ADDS SPARK TO FAMILY FUN Lasting Imprint LONGTIME INVENTORS DIGEST EDITOR FOUGHT FOR THE SMALL INVENTOR $3.95 FULTON, MO FULTON, PERMIT 38 PERMIT US POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE US PRSRT STANDARD PRSRT EDITOR’S NOTE Inventors DIGEST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF REID CREAGER ART DIRECTOR Still Starring: CARRIE BOYD The Independent CONTRIBUTORS DON DEBELAK Inventor JACK LANDER FRANK LAUGHLIN On the day before Independence Day 1985, Volume 1, Issue 1 of Inventors’ JEREMY LOSAW Digest (with an apostrophe back then) was relatively fresh from the typewriter. KEVIN PRINCE Future ID editor and publisher Joanne Hayes-Rines, this month’s cover subject, GENE QUINN has a bound copy of the primitive-looking newsletter that was published by JOHN G. RAU Affiliated Inventors Foundation. EDIE TOLCHIN The cover of the eight-page publication announced its new name—it had been GRAPHIC DESIGNER Inventors Voice in a previous, semi-regular incarnation about two years earlier— JORGE ZEGARRA and informed readers of the start of this quarterly paper. Cover headlines involved a silicon chip that was copyrighted, as well as a list of prospective/experienced INVENTORS DIGEST LLC inventors who were making progress with their patents. Some of these innovators doubtless took PUBLISHER note when the movie “Back to the Future” LOUIS FOREMAN premiered in theaters on July 3. Although VICE PRESIDENT, the movie was a thinly disguised attempt to INTERACTIVE AND WEB capitalize on the phenomenal popularity MATT SPANGARD of Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton on the TV sitcom blockbuster “Family Ties,” it FINANCIAL CONTROLLER introduced a slew of futuristic inventions DEBBIE MUENCH that were as impossible as they were ingenious. ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Thirty-one years later, that’s only half KARA SHEAFFER accurate. Many of the outrageous dream- SUBSCRIPTIONS tech creations that co-starred in the LOURDES RODRIGUEZ adventures of Marty McFly are now part of everyday life, with others not far away. Websites ranging from time.com to popcrunch.com to EMGN.com hang © 2016 Inventors Digest, LLC. All rights reserved. Inventors Digest, LLC is a North Carolina limited liability company and is out a laundry line of these inventions: video conferencing; 3D movies; huge, the publisher of Inventors Digest magazine. INVENTORS DIGEST wall-mounted TVs; flying cars; hoverboards; motion-controlled video games; and INVENTORS’ DIGEST are trademarks of Inventors Digest, tablets; retractable gardens, and more. Some of these were at least partially the LLC. Reproduction or distribution of any materials obtained in this publication without written permission is expressly prohibited. creations of small inventors—among them William Van Doren Kelley, who The views, claims and opinions expressed in article and advertise- long ago invented the Prizma color technique that led to 3D films; and Greg ments herein are not necessarily those of Inventors Digest, LLC, its Henderson, inventor of the Hendo hoverboard that appeared in a Kickstarter employees, agents or directors. This publication and any references to products or services are provided “as is” without any expressed video last year. or implied warranty or term of any kind. While effort is made to By the time “Back to the Future II” came out in November 1989, Joanne ensure accuracy in the content of the information presented Hayes-Rines had been at the helm of this publication for two years. A layered herein, Inventors Digest, LLC is not responsible for any errors, misprints or misinformation. Any legal information contained understanding of inventing and the role of the independent inventor was taking herein is not to be construed as legal advice and is provided for root, building a level of commitment and advocacy that remained steadfast for her entertainment or educational purposes only. Interested parties and 20 years as an industry leader. inventors seeking legal advice should consult a lawyer. Maybe this is the stuff of which movies are made; maybe not. But it will have a Ad rates, subscriptions & editorial content: long run of its own. 520 Elliot Street —Reid Charlotte, NC 28202 [email protected] www.InventorsDigest.com [email protected] NOVEMBER 2016 INVENTORS DIGEST 3 Contents November 2016 Volume 32 Issue 11 26 Features 22 Lasting Imprint Longtime Inventors Digest Editor Fought for the Small Inventor 26 Thanks for Their Giving Some Charitable Firms, Nonprofits That Help Others and Inventors American Inventors 16 Shower in Your Pocket Army Physician’s Epic Wipes 18 Moms’ Mission Innobaby: Solutions for Parents 20 Scooter Charges Family Fun California Dad’s CycleBoard Departments 6 Bright Ideas Spotlight on Innovation 8 Time Tested 20 Classic TV Show Inventions 12 Lander Zone 18 Know Your Odds, and Baggage 14 Marketing Tips The 3 ‘M’ Stages 30 Inventing 101 5 Steps to Find Licensing Contracts InventorsNOVEMBER 2016 Volume 32 Issue 11 DIGEST TV SHOW GADGETS 31 Prototyping GOING WHERE NONE HAD GONE BEFORE KNOW YOUR ODDS ASSESS RISK FOR Stretching the Utility of Rubber YOUR INVENTION IDEA THANKS FOR THEIR GIVING COMPANIES, NONPROFITS THAT HELP OTHERS SCOOTER DAD CREATION ADDS 34 Patent Pending SPARK TO FAMILY FUN Lasting File Your PPA, and Do it Now Imprint LONGTIME INVENTORS DIGEST EDITOR FOUGHT FOR THE SMALL INVENTOR 36 Eye on Washington $3.95 FULTON, MO FULTON, PERMIT 38 PERMIT US POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE US PRSRT STANDARD PRSRT Historic Insults to Patent Examiners; InventorsDigestNovember2016FINAL.indd 1 10/23/16 3:57 PM Fraud Hearing a Big Nothing Burger ON THE COVER Joanne Hayes-Rines: 46 Inventiveness 8 photo by mattconti.com Focus on the Fun and Fascinating NOVEMBER 2016 INVENTORS DIGEST 5 Ecomo BOTTLE THAT TESTS, FILTERS WATER ecomo.io The Ecomo Smart Bottle represents some as pesticides, petrochemical products, big-picture goals pertaining to health and bacteria and most heavy metals. It’s also the environment, with a stated goal of compatible with Apple Watch and FitBit. clean water for everyone and minimiz- Ecomo keeps water hot for 12 hours and ing the usage of plastic bottles. In addi- keeps it cold for 24 hours. It comes with tion, users may choose to contribute to a wearable activity tracker that computes the company’s water quality data map your hydration needs, tracks your intake (without revealing any privacy) as part and alerts you about bad water quality. of the effort to protect public health and At last report, Ecomo had almost tri- the environment. Ecomo is said to save pled its original $50,000 crowdfunding about 228 plastic disposable water bottles goal with 38 days left in the campaign. within three months. Estimated delivery is Fill the bottle with water anywhere, any- March, retailing time, then shake it to test for contaminants. for $229. The bottle’s 3-in-1 filtration system can remove most major contaminants, such Kryo Sleep Performance System COOLING MATTRESS TOPPER indiegogo.com/projects/kryo-sleep-performance-system# Kryo is a water-based, app-controlled cool- and Misfit. The warm awake ing mattress topper that actively cools to feature helps you drift from 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Cel- drowsy dreams to a more nat- cius), improving REM and deep sleep by ural awakening instead of an as much as 20 percent. REM sleep, which abrupt alarm. The mattress accounts for 20 percent to 25 percent of topper comes with a control sleep time in adults, is an important com- unit that fits under your bed ponent of our sleep patterns. (Newborns or next to your nightstand. the perfect temperature and program tem- may spend up to 80 percent of their sleep A Wi-Fi-enabled smartphone platform perature changes during the night based in the REM stage.) allows you to control your Kryo directly on the timing of your sleep cycles. Kryo integrates with leading sleep track- from your phone. You can set a weekly The product is scheduled to ship in ing devices, including Fitbit, Jawbone UP schedule to ensure your mattress stays at May. Retail price: $299. 6 INVENTORS DIGEST NOVEMBER 2016 Phantom Air TUNABLE WIRELESS EARBUDS trinityaudioengineering.com Billed as the world’s first tunable wireless hours’ use. You get three to four hours’ use earbuds, each pair comes with tuning fil- per charge. ters that let you tune the bass and higher The earbuds can be paired to any device frequencies for your preferred sound sig- capable of transmitting Bluetooth audio. The nature. They unscrew and can easily be Phantom Air uses an industry-leading CSR swapped in and out. Bluetooth v4.2 chip (also compatible with Recharge on the go by placing the ear- Bluetooth 3.0.), specifically designed for buds into the charging case: 45 minutes micro wireless applications. A unique double for a 75 percent to 80 percent charge and antenna—one inside and another hidden an hour until fully charged. The pocket in the outer shell—cures most signal drop. charger can recharge the earbuds up to Estimated delivery is January, retailing 10 additional times, giving you up to 30 at £150 (about $180 U.S.). PIN Genie Forever O.G. Pants PEEP-PROOF SMART LIFETIME GUARANTEE DOOR LOCK wonderous.com pin-genie.com These pants feature a 3-ply, 4-way stretch PIN Genie Smart Lock features a patent- fabric infused with silver that repel odor and pending touchscreen pad that shortens come with a lifetime guarantee. They never your 10-digit passcode into four numbers stain and are resistant to any liquid. The for usability. Every time you use the PIN pants’ 3-ply yarn is 10 times stronger than Genie, the numbers reshuffle to thwart what’s typically used in the industry because peekers and hidden cameras.