--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I got my first patent in 1979 before I…" description: "\"I got my first patent in 1979 before I left the Air Force. I called it the Digital Distance Measuring Instrument. It used ones and zeros and dots and d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/lonnie-johnson-16185_air-force_i-got-my-first-patent-in-1979-before-i-l_2108217.jpg" --- # I got my first patent in 1979 before I left the Air Force… ![“I got my first patent in 1979 before I left the Air Force. I called it the Digital Distance Measuring Instrument. It used ones and zeros and dots and dashes and a magnifying lens to read binary-encoded information from a scale that was photographically reduced. It used the same kind of technology…” quote by Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/lonnie-johnson-16185_air-force_i-got-my-first-patent-in-1979-before-i-l_2108217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/lonnie-johnson-16185_air-force_i-got-my-first-patent-in-1979-before-i-l_2108217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/lonnie-johnson-16185_air-force_i-got-my-first-patent-in-1979-before-i-l_2108217.jpg) > “I got my first patent in 1979 before I left the Air Force. I called it the Digital Distance Measuring Instrument. It used ones and zeros and dots and dashes and a magnifying lens to read binary-encoded information from a scale that was photographically reduced. It used the same kind of technology that's used in CDs and DVDs.” [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inventor describes early digital measurement device using binary encoding and optical scaling, precursor to optical media tech. **In simple terms:** He built a binary optical scale before CDs. Key Takeaway Leverage simple binary optics for new tools. Themes innovation engineering optics patents Mood proud reflective Type technical historical When to use this quote - product design - R&D - educational demos - technology history Key Concepts binary encoding optical scaling digital measurement patent development Questions to Reflect On - How could modern optics improve his original design? - What other fields could benefit from binary optical encoding? A Different Perspective Limited adoption due to era's tech constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-force/) [Digital Distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital-distance-4243643/) [Distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance/) [Distance Measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance-measuring-4243642/) [Got Patent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-patent-4243644/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Patent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patent/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Technology Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology-used-256985/) ## Related quotes > [In 1975, I was called to active duty in the Air Force, studying U.S. space launches that used nuclear power. I felt it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/in-1975-i-was-called-to-active-duty-in-the-air-force-studying-u-s/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Wouldn't it be great if the technology we used to take care of ourselves was as good as the technology we use to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heywood/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-the-technology-we-used-to-take-care-of/) [James Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heywood/) > [Legend has it that every new technology is first used for something related to sex or pornography. That seems to be the way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/legend-has-it-that-every-new-technology-is-first-used-for-something/) [Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/) > [“Given that aim, technology, as used in this book, means the processes by which an organization transforms labor, capital, materials, and information into products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/given-that-aim-technology-as-used-in-this-book-means-the-processes-by/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [All good technology should be used to piss off people's parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/all-good-technology-should-be-used-to-piss-off-people-s-parents/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Technology can be used that way and it can also be used in other ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/technology-can-be-used-that-way-and-it-can-also-be-used-in-other-ways/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I think it's amazing when technology is used in a smart way, but the responsibility that comes with it... I think there's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn/i-think-it-s-amazing-when-technology-is-used-in-a-smart-way-but-the/) [Robyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn/) > [So, I installed a CCTV system to tape what's going on inside my mind. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/contemporary-technology-could-be-used-to-eliminate-ownership-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Though technology has significantly advanced, the government is still using technology the same way it was doing in the past. If technology is used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-harris/though-technology-has-significantly-advanced-the-government-is-still/) [Richard Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-harris/) > [“As the literary critic and writer Leon Wieseltier remarks, “every technology is used before it is completely understood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-lynch/as-the-literary-critic-and-writer-leon-wieseltier-remarks-every/) [Michael P. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-lynch/) > [Technology is permeating every single thing we do... And to the extent that we can better expose our young people to all the different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morial/technology-is-permeating-every-single-thing-we-do-and-to-the-extent/) [Marc Morial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-morial/) > [This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/this-is-why-i-loved-technology-if-you-used-it-right-it-could-give-you/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I was in 'Iron Sky,' the first one, and I liked it very much. I liked the technology being used. The technology has such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-was-in-iron-sky-the-first-one-and-i-liked-it-very-much-i-liked-the/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) ## More by Lonnie Johnson > [More and more, other countries are able to manufacture things cheaper, beating us in the marketplace in a lot of ways. So we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/more-and-more-other-countries-are-able-to-manufacture-things-cheaper/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Lady Luck is indifferent. She smiles sometimes, and she frowns sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/lady-luck-is-indifferent-she-smiles-sometimes-and-she-frowns-sometimes/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [The invention that most people know me for is the Super Soaker water gun. I knew the gun worked well, and I knew it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/the-invention-that-most-people-know-me-for-is-the-super-soaker-water/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [It was because of the success of the Super Soaker, I was able to at least get an audience with people to present some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/it-was-because-of-the-success-of-the-super-soaker-i-was-able-to-at/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Large companies can afford to file patents on every idea they have. Small companies, we have to weigh our options, do the research. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/large-companies-can-afford-to-file-patents-on-every-idea-they-have/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I have a collection of SuperSoakers. I have managed to keep most of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-have-a-collection-of-supersoakers-i-have-managed-to-keep-most-of/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I can remember times when we'd be having parties, and people would be dancing and everything and I would be sitting there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-can-remember-times-when-we-d-be-having-parties-and-people-would-be/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Being an independent inventor is tough. You develop a product, patent it, then you're looking for someone who will see the benefit from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/being-an-independent-inventor-is-tough-you-develop-a-product-patent/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I didn't want to grow old and find that I didn't do what I could have done, that I didn't put my best foot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-didn-t-want-to-grow-old-and-find-that-i-didn-t-do-what-i-could-have/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I consider myself a general practitioner. I do electronic things. I do toys and water things, mechanical stuff. I'm very, very flexible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-consider-myself-a-general-practitioner-i-do-electronic-things-i-do/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Peer review is fine, as long as you're making incremental improvements to a technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/peer-review-is-fine-as-long-as-you-re-making-incremental-improvements/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I decided I could develop a toy and get some revenue from that and then use that revenue to really become an inventor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-decided-i-could-develop-a-toy-and-get-some-revenue-from-that-and/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I wound up getting offered a job at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory where I invented a power supply mechanism for the Galileo space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-wound-up-getting-offered-a-job-at-the-nasa-jet-propulsion/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I've invented a new type of engine that converts heat directly into electricity with no moving mechanical parts. 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