Abstract: A heating device for an optical fiber may include a crucible body having an optical fiber receiving slotted passageway therein for receiving the optical fiber therein, and a heating element receiving passageway therein adjacent the optical fiber receiving slotted passageway and spaced apart therefrom. The heating device may further include a respective electrically powered plasma heating element enclosed within the heating element receiving passageway for heating the optical fiber within the optical fiber receiving slotted passageway.

Abstract: A multimedia system may include at least one audio comment input device configured to permit at least one commentator to generate audio comment data based upon viewing video data from a video source. Furthermore, a media processor may cooperate with the at least one audio comment input device and be configured to process video source data and audio comment data and generate therefrom audio trigger markers synchronized with the video source data for predetermined audio triggers in the audio comment data, and combine the video source data, the audio comment data, and the audio trigger markers into a media data stream.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) signal combiner/splitter may include a printed circuit board (PCB) having first and second opposing major surfaces, and openings therethrough. The RF signal combiner/splitter may further include a ferromagnetic body. The ferromagnetic body may include a first portion spaced from the first major surface of the PCB, a second portion spaced from the second major surface of the PCB, and interconnecting portions coupling the first and second portions and extending through respective openings in the PCB. The PCB may include conductive traces cooperating with the ferromagnetic body to define circuitry for combining/splitting RF signals. For example, the PCB may further comprise additional conductive traces cooperating with the ferromagnetic body to define impedance matching circuitry coupled to the circuitry for combining/splitting RF signals.

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) may include mobile nodes establishing wireless communications links therebetween. The mobile nodes may communicate based upon an avalanche or relay communications protocol. Each mobile node may comprise a wireless transceiver, and a decorrelation filter cooperating therewith for reducing interference from other mobile nodes. For example, the decorrelation filter also reduces one or more of multi-path interference from other mobile nodes or narrow band interference from other sources.

Abstract: A defective pixel tester determines defective pixels within a digital video camera. The tester includes a video input, a memory and a controller. The video input receives video frames from the digital video camera, with each video frame defined by a plurality of pixel values. The memory stores captured video frames and pixel test results. The controller generates difference values for corresponding pixel values from different video frames, generates pixel test results based upon a comparison of the difference values to a threshold, and stores the pixel test results in the memory.

Abstract: The power line electric field (E-field) coupler device is for collecting energy from a power line and includes a flexible stack of alternating electrically conductive layers and dielectric layers. A power collecting circuit is connected to the flexible stack to output power therefrom based upon E-field coupling from the power line to the flexible stack, and an adjustment mechanism adjusts at least a shape of the flexible stack.

Abstract: In accordance with a nonlimiting example, a network device transfers communications data along a communications channel within an Internet Protocol (IP) network. A communications module includes a signal input connected to the communications channel of the IP network and receives an Ethernet packet having an Ethernet header and IP data. A processor is coupled to the communications module and processes the Ethernet packet. It removes the Ethernet header and adds Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tagging information to a padding section in the packet. In one aspect, the processor includes an encryption module that encrypts the VLAN tagging information along with the IP data. The network device includes a signal output through which the packet is transferred to a destination within the IP network over the communications channel as an IPSec tunnel.

Abstract: A resistive radio frequency (RF) signal power limiter is for connection between an antenna and a receiver circuit in an RF receiver system. The receiver circuit may include a low noise amplifier (LNA). The resistive RF signal power limiter may include at least one positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistor connected in series, and at least one negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor connected in shunt between the at least one PTC thermistor and a reference voltage.

Abstract: A transmitter includes a monitoring circuit for monitoring phase transitions of in-phase and quadrature components of an input phase modulated signal. A filter is downstream from the monitoring circuit for generating a filtered phase modulated signal within an allocated bandwidth. A transmit gain controller is downstream from the filter for adjusting an amplitude of the filtered phase modulated signal based on a dynamic reference envelope control signal. A control circuit cooperates with the monitoring circuit and the transmit gain controller for generating the dynamic reference envelope control signal so that phase transitions are suppressed in the filtered phase modulated signal and so that the filtered phase modulated signal remains within the allocated bandwidth.

Abstract: A portable communications device communicates based upon constant envelope orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CE-OFDM). The portable communications device may include an antenna for receiving a CE-OFDM signal, and a receiver coupled to the antenna. The receiver may include a frequency domain equalizer (FDE) operating based upon a channel estimate of the received CE-OFDM signal, a non-linear function block coupled to and downstream from the FDE, and a demodulation correction block coupled to and downstream from the non-linear function block for correcting an output of the non-linear function block.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing unrelated information or reference signals originating from multiple sources. The signals may be in different signal formats or subject to different delays at a receiving device. The system may include a master reference time generator connected to at least one of a plurality of slave reference signal generators via a packet network. The master reference time generator may include a master reference time counter and a sampling device for sampling the master reference time counter. The master reference time generator may encode time data in master reference time packets and feed these packets into the packet network. The slave reference signal generator(s) is adapted to accept the encoded time data as an input to generate a reference signal, the phase of which is calculated based on the time elapsed since an initial time point.

Abstract: A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model database for storing images of a geographical area and a reference digital surface model (DSM) of the geographical area. The images each have associated with them respective first geolocation data with a first accuracy. The reference DSM may include second geolocation data with a second accuracy being greater than the first accuracy. The geospatial modeling system may further include a processor cooperating with the geospatial model database for generating an initial DSM based upon overlapping portions of the images, and aligning the initial DSM based upon the reference DSM to generate a georeferenced DSM having a third accuracy greater than the first accuracy.

Abstract: A broadband data communications network includes mobile wireless communications devices, base stations, and a master access gateway for operating using a full data set for controlling broadband data communications between the base stations and the mobile wireless communications devices. A back-up gateway is coupled to a given one of the base stations for communicating with the master access gateway for generating a data subset from the full data set for the given base station and associated mobile wireless communications devices when communications between the given base station and the master access gateway is available. When communications is unavailable, then the back-up gateway operates using the data subset for controlling broadband data communications between the given base station and associated mobile wireless communications devices.

Abstract: A loop antenna may include first and second electrical conductors arranged to define a circular shape with first and second spaced apart gaps therein. Opposing portions of the first and second electrical conductors at the first gap may define a signal feedpoint, and opposing portions of the first and second electrical conductors at the second gap may define an impedance tuning feature. The second gap may be circumferentially spaced from the first gap less than ninety degrees, and the second gap may be greater than the first gap to provide a predetermined impedance. A coaxial transmission line may form a feed inset into the loop conductor. The loop antenna may be planar and have a reduced size for ease of manufacture and use, and it may provide an isotropic radiating pattern at a predetermined operating frequency, which may avoid the need for antenna aiming.

Abstract: The unattended surveillance device may include a housing to be positioned for unattended surveillance, a video camera associated with or carried by the housing to capture video, and an image processor carried by the housing and cooperating with the video camera. The image processor extracts moving objects in the foreground of the captured video, generates a profile image or sequence of profile images of the extracted moving objects, compresses the sequence of profile images, and generates a surveillance information packet based upon the compressed sequence of profile images. Also, a wireless transmitter or transceiver may be associated with the image processor to transmit the surveillance information packet to a surveillance monitoring station.

Abstract: A communications device includes communication data and a training sequence corresponding to a preamble. A modulation and mapping circuit modulates the communications data and training sequence into a plurality of multiple subcarriers that are orthogonal to each other to form an OFDM communications signal having modulated subcarriers carrying the communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers forming the preamble. A pseudo-random signal generator is operative with the modulation and mapping circuit and generates pseudo-random signals based on an encryption algorithm for frequency hopping each subcarrier at an OFDM symbol rate. The modulation and mapping circuit applies a quadratic modulation to the subcarriers carrying the training sequences to produce a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) preamble with a PAPR value of approximately 2.6 decibels (dB).

Abstract: A communications device includes a demapping and demodulation circuit and processes an OFDM communications signal that includes modulated subcarriers carrying communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers carrying a training sequence forming a preamble. Those OFDM subcarriers carrying the training sequence have a sample for each subcarrier at a frequency bin using evenly spaced, equal amplitude subcarriers that have a set phase of each sinusoid to a specific angle with quadratic phase to form a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) preamble with about a PAPR value of 2.6 decibels (dB). A channel estimate circuit is operative for measuring fluctuations within a flat-top spectrum of the received OFDM communications signal corresponding to the preamble to reflect the frequency response of the communications channel.

Abstract: A communication system may include a wireless communications device having a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith, and a wireless base station having a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith for communicating with the wireless communications device using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) based upon pilot sub-carriers. The controller of the wireless base station may randomly allocate the pilot sub-carriers over time.

Abstract: An image processing device may include a memory, and a controller. The controller may cooperate with the memory for determining N nearest neighbors for each voxel among a plurality thereof, and determining a respective distance between each voxel and its N nearest neighboring voxels. The controller may also cooperate with the memory for selectively removing each given voxel if a respective distance to an Mth nearest neighboring voxel is greater than a first threshold, and with M being less than or equal to N. Optionally, the controller may also cooperate with the memory for selectively removing each other given voxel if a respective distance to an Lth nearest neighboring voxel is less than a second threshold, with the second threshold being less than the first threshold and with L being less than M.

Abstract: A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of mobile nodes. Each mobile node may include a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith for exchanging isosynchronous Internet Protocol (IP) communications with at least one adjacent mobile node. The isosynchronous IP communications may comprise at least one of voice communications and data communications.