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www.qsindustries.com
3800 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd, Suite 224
Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 644-0047
(503) 626-9995 (Fax)
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Welcome to QS Industries.
Last updated: 08/27/08
QSI issues press release!
QSI Press Release
14 August 2008
MTH-Korea Brass-QSI-Real Rail Effects Settlement
QSI is pleased to report that QSI, MTH, Korea Brass (a.k.a. KB), and Real Rail Effects have resolved their legal conflicts. The settlement includes:
- Cash payment to QSI
- Real Rail Effects dismissal of their patent infringement suit against QSI
- Resolution of long-standing legal issues between KB and QSI
- Dismissal of the patent invalidity suit against QSI by MTH
- Dismissal of the patent infringement suit against MTH by QSI
- Grant of License from Real Rail Effects
- Resolution of the judgment against KB by MTH
The latter was part of the recent lawsuit and approximately $39,000,0000 judgment in favor of MTH against defendants Lionel and Korea Brass for misappropriating MTH's trade secrets.
"It is not often that competing companies have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the Model Railroad Market. The opportunity came to QSI by way of very complicated legal issues that have entangled four companies directly and three companies indirectly. The settlement of these issues has freed up the companies involved to pursue the design and production of their individual model railroad products without undue concern of patent infringement or the expense of time-consuming legal action," said QSI's C.E.O. Fred Severson.
The settlement grants significant cash payment from Korea Brass to QSI, and settlement of lawsuits by Real Rail Effects against Atlas Model Trains and Tony's Train Exchange, both of which are QSI customers. Atlas imports and sells high quality HO and N Scale locomotives, track, and all manner of model railroad products. Atlas has installed the QSI Quantum Sound System in many of their top-of-the-line imported HO locomotives. Tony's Train Exchange is a highly successful hobby supplier and a leader in DCC based products. Tony retails QSI products through QSI Solutions and distributes QSI aftermarket products to many hobby shops through his distribution company, American Hobby Distributors. The grant of License by Real Rail Effects ensures that QSI customers will not be sued for past or future infringement of the Real Rail Effects patent.
As Fred Severson said, "sure we could have pursued our lawsuit against MTH, but under the present circumstances, it would have been a disaster for the model train market. All companies concerned would have found themselves embroiled in legal battles for years to come and perhaps some companies might go out of business with consequences for all. Considering all the time and money spent on legal problems for all companies involved, the money is better spent making better trains. Now it looks like that will happen. This is a good day for the model train market."
QSI (a.k.a. QS Industries, Inc.) has been in business since 1983. It is a general electronic design company that specializes in model train products, Bio-medical Instrumentation, and Integrated Circuits. QSI has supplied many model train companies with high-quality state-of-the-art sound and train control systems, including Ajin, American Hobby Distributors, Atlas, Austrains, Broadway Limited Imports, Canadian Hobby Craft, House of Duddy, Charles Ro, Eureka Trains, Intermountain Railroad Company, Korea Brass, Life-Like, Lionel, Mikes Train House, MKT, Red Caboose, Scale Tin Rail, SGL Lines, Sunset Models, Tenshodo, Third-Rail Trains, Tony's Train Exchange, Walthers, Weaver Models and Williams Electric Trains.
QSI is a privately held corporation founded by Fred Severson and Pat Quinn, both of which are experienced IC design engineers. Our expertise in IC design resulted in our QUIC-51 Application Specific Integrated Circuit (A.S.I.C.) which is now used as the heart of our Quantum Sound Systems and sold throughout the world. QSI has been granted over 15 patents, U.S. and foreign, plus additional patents pending. Along with our Copyrights, Trade Secrets, licensing agreements, and proprietary Integrated Circuits, QSI has made significant investment in Intellectual Property (IP) that we defend vigorously. In addition, our IP protects out customers by ensuring that our products are unlikely to be successfully challenged in court.
downloadable pdf file:
Press Release
New Manuals Now Available for Downloading
QSI Quantum Upgrades Are Now Shipping!
To get yours, please visit QSI Solutions
QSI Quantum upgrade and aftermarket products will include:
- Chip Upgrades for all factory installed Quantum sound systems in Atlas, Life Like, BLI, and Lionel HO locomotives.
The upgrade chips are easily installed and include many new features and improvements including Regulated Throttle Control,
new CV's and improved DCC operation, Downloadable Software and Analog QARC technology.
- Quantum Interface Controller (QICTM), which interfaces between your PC and a program track,
which allows downloading software and new future sounds directly from your PC and from the QSI website directly into an upgraded
Quantum Sound System without disassembling your locomotive.
- Aftermarket, compact sized Sound Decoders suitable for non-sound locomotives.
Regulated Throttle Control (RTC) adds realistic momentum to the model train and although it has
been available in Analog from QSI, it has not been available in DCC until now. This type of throttle control uses Back EMF
to simulate the massive inertia of prototype locomotives. A locomotive under RTC will move through obstacles such as tight turnouts,
raised track joints, etc. with little change in speed and will easily maintain speeds less than 1 scale mile hour. However, if the
locomotive encounters a long uphill grade, it will slowly reduce speed just like the prototype. If it encounters a downhill grade,
it will slowly increase speed just like the prototype.
Unlike Speed Control, RTC is a true throttle control system and is controlled by the same CV's (e.g. CV2, CV3, CV4, CV5, CV23,
CV24, and all CV's related to speed curves). Since locos under RTC slowly adjust their speed based on load, locomotives in consists
tend to share power equally.
Included with this feature is an on-demand status check that announces the relative scale MPH of the moving locomotive, and an on-demand
"heavy load" option that helps maintain speed no matter the terrain.
QARC (Quantum Analog Remote Control) technology allows full remote control of all the analog
Quantum features and operations via QSI's multi-button box, Quantum EngineerTM -- an add on to most
Analog power packs. Previously this kind of control has only been available under DCC.
Online Manuals for Downloading: (requires Adobe Acrobat ver. 6 or newer)
Manuals open in a new window
For sales or service with existing 3-rail O scale products:
QSI has contracted with The Scaled Tin Rail as our authorized factory representative. All orders, repairs, or general technical assistance should be directed to them. STR also provides installations and custom work. You may contact STR as follows:
The Scaled Tin Rail website
Email: sales-service@the-scaled-tin-rail.com
Phone: 928-525-0755
Fax: 928-525-1091 Call ahead to have it turned on.
Links:
QSI breaks the sound barrier (and the size barrier) by introducing outstanding sound, analog and DCC train control for HO scale. Visit the following sites for more information.
American Hobby Distributors
QSI Solutions
Broadway Limited Imports
Lionel Trains
Atlas Model Trains
Life Like Products