Abstract: Method for broadcasting a magnetic stripe data packet from an electronic card by measuring a swipe speed of the electronic card past a magnetic reader head during a swipe of the electronic card past the magnetic reader head and then adjusting a broadcast signal containing the magnetic stripe data packet according to the measured swipe speed so that the magnetic stripe data packet in the broadcast signal is read by the magnetic reader head during said swipe. The swipe speed is measured by either an active speed sensor or a passive pressure/force speed sensor such as a quantum tunneling composite.

Abstract: A method for communicating with a magnetic stripe reader in which an electronic apparatus is activated from an off state to a reduced power mode, a magnetic stripe reader is detected, then the apparatus is activated from the reduced power mode to a full power mode and it broadcasts a signal that contains a transaction specific data packet that is read by the magnetic read head. The signal is a time varying and spatial varying magnetic field that is interpreted by the magnetic read head as originating from a standard magnetic stripe and it is generated by a magnetic stripe broadcaster comprised of a track 1 flex encoder that transmits data that is read by a track 1 read head of the magnetic read head and a track 2 magnetic flex encoder that transmits data that is read by a track 2 read head of the magnetic read head.

Abstract: A scooper operable by movement of a hand or hands in which a dowel is held between outer and inner scoops pivotally connected about the dowel, each scoop having a front wall extending from a base such that the scoops form a jaw for picking up an object held inside the scoops in a closed position and movement of the scoops relative to each other are controlled by opposition of a thumb and at least one finger of the hand.

Abstract: An electronic card has a card body with a power source electrically coupled to a general processor which is electrically coupled to a secure processor and a broadcaster. At least one sensor sends a signal to the general broadcaster when a physical act of swiping the card body through a legacy magnetic stripe reader having a magnetic read head commences. The card is usable as a legacy mode Smart card, the broadcaster is operable to broadcast a transaction specific data packet so that it is read by the magnetic stripe reader, and the secure processor is an ISO 7816 compliant processor.

Abstract: An electronic card includes a digital processor, an electrochemical battery and a communications port. The processor and battery are essentially coplanar, and are sandwiched between and enclosed by two flexible covers, preferably made from an insulating plastic material, and preferably fitted to the components that they enclose. The communications port can include, for example, a Smart Card contact port, a stripe emulator, an RF port, and IR port, etc. The battery may comprise a rechargeable battery. In an exemplary embodiment, at least the processor is carried by a flexible printed circuit (PC) board. In other exemplary embodiments, switches and/or indicators are also carried by the PC.board. A method for manufacturing an electronic card having at least two components is also disclosed.

Abstract: Method for broadcasting a magnetic stripe data packet from an electronic card by measuring a swipe speed of the electronic card past a magnetic reader head during a swipe of the electronic card past the magnetic reader head and then adjusting a broadcast signal containing the magnetic stripe data packet according to the measured swipe speed so that the magnetic stripe data packet in the broadcast signal is read by the magnetic reader head during said swipe. The swipe speed is measured by a speed sensor such as a capacitive sensor having an outer detection point and an inner detection point.

Abstract: Two detectors of the same kind, each having an identical neutral band-pass filter to the target gas, are installed next to Signal channel and Reference channel detectors as pairs in an AB designed NDIR gas sensor layout, which are called Standard Signal channel detector and Standard Reference channel detector. “Standard” GAMMA is the ratio of Standard signal channel detector output over that of Standard Reference channel detector. “Standard” GAMMA is independent of the measurement Physics of NDIR gas sensors, is dependent only upon the performance characteristics of the sensor component and is also independent of the presence of any amount of target gas in the sample chamber. Consequently, “Standard” GAMMA can be used to proportionally correct and update GAMMA of the sensor as its components age over time thereby rendering such an AB designed NDIR gas sensor self-commissioning or staying accurate over time after initial calibration.

Abstract: Multiple secure transactions are provided through use of a method that uses customer one-time unique purchase order numbers (“Coupons”) generated by an algorithm that uses a permutated user key and a user insertion key as input variables. A user key (such as a Personal Identification Number, or “PIN”) is combined with a permutation variable that is correlated with a customer sequence number to create the permutated user key. A random number generator is used to generate the user insertion key correlated with the customer sequence number. The algorithm can insert the permutated user key into a user account number through use of the user insertion key. A Coupon is validated by confirming that it is contained in a set of money source Coupons generated by a money source using the user key and a random number generator that is synchronized with the random number used to generate Coupons.

Abstract: A packaging assembly is disclosed. The packaging assembly is easily assembled and disassembled for convenient use and provides suspension of an enclosed article by way of an arched structure providing protection from impact, shock and vibration. This suspension package and method is called KLOS Pak.

Abstract: An NDIR gas sensor takes advantage of a conventional packaging embodiment commonly used to house detectors of all kinds comprising a can, header and a dish sample chamber all welded together to form a single detector unit. The can forms the top, a hollowed out header body forms the middle and a custom dish sample chamber forms the bottom of a completely functioning NDIR gas sensor. Whereas the header body not only accommodates all the optoelectronic and optical parts on its top surface providing the required signal processing functions for the gas sensor, part of its body is excavated below to accommodate a custom dish sample chamber in communication with the gas outside whose concentration level is to be measured. A lens and windows are also fabricated on the top part of this header body so that infrared radiation can enter the dish sample chamber below and then be redirected back above for signal processing.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a dual-beam NDIR gas sensor for detecting water vapor by obtaining a variant sensor components domain (“G0”) when there is no water vapor gas in the sample chamber, obtaining a physics measurement domain (“G”) for a set of known concentrations of the water vapor gas in the sample chamber, the known concentrations being measurable quantities exceeding zero, using G to calculate a G0i from a known concentration of water vapor in the sample chamber for each of multiple master calibration curves, and then selecting the master calibration curve with the lowest difference between its G0i and the G0 of the NDIR gas sensor as the calibration curve.

Abstract: An NDIR gas sensor and methodology use an absorption bias between signal and reference outputs to determine sample concentration of a gas being measured. The absorption bias is created by using a signal channel in a sample chamber with a signal path length that is greater than a reference path length of a reference channel in the sample chamber while both the signal and reference detectors have an identical narrow band pass filter with the same Center Wavelength (“CWL”), Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and transmittance efficiency at the CWL. Performance is improved when the reference detector and the signal detector share a common thermal platform that can also be shared by the sample chamber and the infrared source.

Abstract: An NDIR gas sensor methodology for the design of a dual-gas sensor for the detection of two gases having a mutually interfering infrared absorption band such as that for CO2 and H2O at around 2.70? or N2O and CO at around 4.40?. The output of this two-channel NDIR gas sensor remains drift-free over time and is also temperature independent because it uses three detection channels sharing the same sample chamber and all have exactly the same narrow band-pass filter. The first detection channel is filled with 100% nitrogen and its output is proportional to the concentration levels for both CO2 and H2O in the sample chamber. The second detection channel has two cells in series, one filled with a known concentration of H2O and another one with 100% CO2 gas, and its output is proportional principally only to the presence of H2O in the sample chamber. The third detection channel is filled with 100% CO2 gas and its output serves as the biased reference for this dual-gas NDIR gas sensor.

Abstract: Two detector elements are optically isolated by having them mounted (die-attached) on the same header so that the thermal tracking of the detectors respectively for the signal and reference channels is close to ideal. Furthermore, such an optical isolation technique or cross-interference suppression between the two detector elements mounted on the same header also allows the use of only one and the same narrow band pass interference filter covering both detectors. Thus the thermal tracking of the filters respectively for the signal and reference channels is also close to perfection as both channels share the same filter.

Abstract: A fire detector and method of using it generate a fire alarm through use of a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector once the smoke detector detects a threshold level of light obscuration for greater than a first pre-selected time period or a reduced threshold level of light obscuration for greater than a second pre-selected time period or the CO detector detects a rate of increase in CO concentration which exceeds a first preselected CO rate for a third pre-selected time period and the smoke detector detects the reduced threshold level of light obscuration or the rate of increase in CO concentration exceeds a second preselected CO rate for a fourth pre-selected time period.

Abstract: The invention is a garment that is made from an elastic and puncture resistant material that provides protection to the wearer against shark attacks. The garment includes at least one elastic base layer, a plurality of protective elements that overlap each other to form a protective layer, and a fabric layer to join the elastic material and the protective element against each other. The protective elements are rigid, but configured in such a way to maintain flexibility in the overall garment.

Abstract: A sporting game in which a game ball that behaves differently from a conventional soccer ball is kicked from a starting point toward an end point for the purpose of getting the game ball in the end point in as few as strikes as possible and, if this is not accomplished in one kick, then the game ball is kicked one or more additional times until it is in the end point. However, unlike the direction of travel for a conventional ball, the game ball's direction of travel is to the right when a counterclockwise spin is applied at a point of contact with the player's foot, to the left when a clockwise spin is applied at the point of contact, and straight when a top spin is applied at the point of contact.

Abstract: NDIR gas sensing methodology is advanced which renders the output of an NDIR gas sensor, when implemented with this new methodology, to remain stable or drift-free over time. Furthermore, the output of such a sensor will also be independent of the temperature of an environ wherein the sensor is in physical contact. This method utilizes the same narrow band-pass spectral filter for the detection of the gas of interest for both the signal and the reference channels. By so doing, the two channels always receive radiation of the same spectral content from the infrared source of the sensor convoluted with that from any external elements exposed to the sensor. While the same sample chamber through which the gas of interest to be detected flows is shared by the two channels, the detector package for the reference channel is hermetically sealed with 100% of the gas to be detected instead of 100% N2 as for the signal detector.

Abstract: An electronic circuit contains a circuit board with conducting tracks to which one or more electronic components with conducting contacts are positioned overlying portions of the conducting tracks and each such electronic component is held in place by a clamp that covers and is contact with the top surface of the electronic components so as to hold their conducting contacts in electrical contact with the conducting tracks of the circuit board. The clamp can include a resilient layer held between the top surface of electronic components and a rigid clamping sheet.

Abstract: An NDIR gas sensor is housed within a mechanical housing made up of a can and a header housing. The header housing body contains a tunnel waveguide sample chamber. The header housing also has a top surface with a pair of windows formed in it and a signal detector, a reference detector, a MEMS source and a signal processor mounted to it. The can has inner reflective surfaces and the reference detector and the signal detector are affixed to the top surface so that the inner reflective surfaces of the can and the tunnel waveguide sample chamber create a signal channel path length detected by the signal detector that is greater than a reference channel path length detected by the reference detector and an absorption bias between the signal and reference outputs can be used to determine a gas concentration in the sample chamber.