Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a MIMO capable antenna with unique properties are provided herein. In some embodiments, a 4×4 MIMO capable antenna is provided with unique properties. Circular polarization from the antennas ensures that both vertical and horizontal polarizations are energized to the full extent provided by local regulations. A system includes a radio and a plurality of antennas coupled to the radio, the plurality of antennas servicing a broadcast area that has a 360 degree coverage area. Each of the plurality of antennas transmits and receives in an isolated sub-sector of the 360 degree coverage area.

Abstract: Enclosures for radios, parabolic dish antennas, and side lobe shields are provided herein. A dish antenna includes a parabolic circular reflector bounded by a side lobe shield that extends along a longitudinal axis of the dish antenna in a forward direction forming a front cavity, and a sidewall that extends along the longitudinal axis of the dish antenna in a rearward direction forming a rear cavity.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided herein for selecting networks for a mobile communications device. Methods for selecting a network connection for a mobile communications device may include receiving signals that comprise location information of the mobile communications device and selecting a first network type or a second network type for the mobile communications device based upon a magnitude of movement of the mobile communications device determined from the location information, the first network type comprising a network that is capable of handing off active sessions for the mobile communications device, the second network type comprising a network that having a reduced capacity or no capacity to hand off active sessions for the mobile communications device.

Abstract: Products from a solar assisted reverse-water-gas-shift reaction (RWGS) are used to create a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. Heliostats focus solar energy to heat carbon dioxide gas. A water splitter splits water into hydrogen molecules and oxygen molecules via the addition of the solar energy also directed from either the same array of heliostats via a beam splitter off a common receiving tower redirecting a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, a heliostat field dedicated for the water splitter, or from its own parabolic trough. A chemical reactor mixes heated carbon dioxide gas with all or just a portion of the hydrogen molecules from the water splitter in a RWGS reaction to produce resultant carbon monoxide. A synthesis reactor uses any unconsumed hydrogen molecules and the resultant stabilized carbon monoxide molecules from the RWGS reaction in the hydrocarbon fuel synthesis process to create a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are described in which products from a solar assisted Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) reaction are used in a hydrocarbon fuel synthesis process to create a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. A water splitter splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen via the addition of the solar energy. A chemical reactor chamber mixes solar heated carbon dioxide gas with all or just a portion of the hydrogen molecules from the water splitter in a RWGS reaction to produce resultant carbon monoxide. A hydrocarbon liquid fuel synthesis reactor receives and uses either 1) all of the unconsumed portions of hydrogen from the RWGS or 2) the remaining portion of the hydrogen molecules from the water splitter and the resultant carbon monoxide molecules from the RWGS in the hydrocarbon fuel synthesis process to create a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

Abstract: A wireless access point includes at least a first service set identifier associated with a public LAN. The wireless access point provides wireless access to the public LAN and to a wide area network (WAN). The wireless access point implements an access policy that provides unrestricted access to the WAN to a first type of wireless application or wireless device detected by the wireless access point, and restricted access to the WAN to a second type of wireless application or wireless device detected by the wireless access point.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are described in for a wireless access point. The wireless access point allows access to a wireless LAN that has two or more service set identifiers (SSIDs). At least one of the SSIDs is associated with a public wireless LAN. The wireless access point implements a segmentation policy that 1) provides unimpeded access to a Wide Area network through the public wireless LAN based on a first type of application or a first type of device detected by the wireless access point and 2) restricts access to the Wide Area network through the public wireless LAN by requiring an authorization check to access the Wide Area network based on detecting a second type of application.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for improving DSL performance, including ADSL and VDSL performance, over a local loop between a telephone company central office and a customer premises. In particular, a DSL repeater is coupled to the local loop and amplifies downstream and upstream DSL signals to at least partially compensate for DSL signal attenuation that occurs as DSL signals pass over the local loop. Pursuant to one embodiment, the DSL repeater includes a POTS load coil to improve the POTS, or voice band, transmission over the local loop. According to this embodiment, the DSL repeater provides both improved POTS band signal transmission and DSL service. One embodiment of the load coil includes a coupled inductor having compensating capacitors coupled thereto for counter-balancing the inter-winding capacitance of the coupled inductor. In another embodiment, the load coil includes a high intra-winding capacitance for counter-balancing the inter-winding capacitance of a coupled inductor.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for improving DSL performance, including ADSL and VDSL performance, over a local loop between a telephone company central office and a customer premises. In particular, a loop extender is coupled to the local loop and differentially amplifies downstream and upstream DSL signals to at least partially compensate for DSL signal attenuation that occurs as DSL signals pass over the local loop. Pursuant to one embodiment, the loop extender includes an upstream filter/amplifying equalizer, a downstream filter/amplifying equalizer, a differential amplifier pair, an inverting amplifier, and a pair of electromagnetic hybrids, which couple the loop extender to the loop and provide upstream and downstream signal amplification. In another embodiment, the loop extender includes POTS loading coils to improve the POTS or voice band transmission over the local loop. According to this embodiment, the loop extender provides both improved POTS band signal transmission and DSL service.

Abstract: An odd-order low-pass microfilter is disclosed for being interposed between a home telephone wiring network and a POTS, or voice band, device to separate voice-band signals from higher frequency signals, such as ADSL signals and home networking signals. The filter topology is substantially symmetric so that the filter is reversible in that either end of the filter may be directly coupled to the home telephone wiring network without impairing high frequency signal performance or the filter characteristic of the filter. In one embodiment, the filter is a three-pole filter with a single capacitor disposed between a pair of coupled inductors. Each of the coupled inductors advantageously has an interwinding capacitance over about 100 pF to improve the filter frequency response without increasing the cost of the filter. In another embodiment, the filter is a reversible three-pole filter with a single capacitor disposed between first and second pairs of uncoupled, or discrete, inductors.

Abstract: An odd-order low-pass microfilter is disclosed for being interposed between a home telephone wiring network and a POTS, or voice-band, device to separate voice-band signals from higher frequency signals, such as ADSL signals and home networking signals. The filter topology is substantially symmetric so that the filter is reversible in that either end of the filter may be directly coupled to the home telephone wiring network without impairing high frequency signal performance or the filter characteristic of the filter. In one embodiment, the filter is a three-pole filter with a single capacitor disposed between a pair of coupled inductors. Each of the coupled inductors advantageously has an interwinding capacitance over about 100 pF to improve the filter frequency response without increasing the cost of the filter. In another embodiment, the filter is a reversible three-pole filter with a single capacitor disposed between first and second pairs of uncoupled, or discrete, inductors.

Abstract: A polarization converter polarizes an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane. The polarization converter comprises a planar matrix for concentrating and collimating the incident light beam; a polarizer parallel to the planar matrix for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; quarter-wave retarding means, parallel to the planar matrix and disposed between the planar matrix and the polarizer, for delaying the second component one-quarter wavelength relative to that of the first component; and reflection means, between the quarter-wave retarding means and the planar matrix, for reflecting the second component back through the quarter-wave retarder. The planar matrix may include on a top surface an array of first lenses and on a bottom surface an array of second lenses.

Abstract: The projector of the present invention provides a means for interactively displaying and annotating a document image at two separate locations. The projector consists of an image plate having an array of picture elements for displaying the image; a projection mechanism for projecting the image displayed by the image plate onto a projection screen; and a digitizer having a coordinate input array which corresponds to the array of picture elements of the image plate, wherein the image displayed by the image plate changes in response to coordinate inputs to the digitizer. A method for interactively annotating an image communicated between a remote and local image includes the procedure of simultaneously transmitting to the remote projector, annotations made to an image in the local projector.

Abstract: A polarization converter for polarizing a light beam by converting all light waves to the same orientation comprises 1) a first beam dividing matrix of refractory material for dividing a single, large light beam into smaller sub-beam 2) a second beam focusing matrix for polarizing select portions of the sub-beams, and 3) a series of narrow and shallow polarizing cells. The second beam focusing matrix further comprises a plurality of concave lenses for redirecting each sub-beam and quarter wave retarders disposed in alignment with, and adjacent to, the reflective side of an equal plurality of mirror segments. The polarizing cells include either a first beamsplitter or a second beamsplitter, where the first beamsplitters and second beamsplitters are disposed in opposing diagonal fashion and in an alternating manner.

Abstract: The projector of the present invention provides a means for interactively displaying and annotating a document image at two separate locations. The projector consists of an image plate having an array of picture elements for displaying the image; a projection mechanism for projecting the image displayed by the image plate onto a projection screen; and a digitizer having a coordinate input array which corresponds to the array of picture elements of the image plate, wherein the image displayed by the image plate changes in response to coordinate inputs to the digitizer. A method for interactively annotating an image communicated between a remote and local image includes the procedure of simultaneously transmitting to the remote projector, annotations made to an image in the local projector.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of ringer signals in a telephone which samples the incoming telephone signals within a prescribed time interval, windows the signals, and computes a set of auto-correlation coefficients. These coefficients are normalized, and their absolute values are calculated and summed and compared with an empirically-derived threshold. If the coefficient sum exceeds the threshold, a high degree of correlation within incoming signals is indicated, distinguishing the incoming signal as containing ringer signal constituents.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for maintaining loop stability between a transmit and a receive path of a speaker phone which is capable of operating in either a full-duplex or a half-duplex mode. Loop stability is maintained and normal operation is achieved by controlling transmit and receive path attenuators. The method first determines whether feedforward or feedback signal levels should be used. Based on this determination, the signal and noise parameters along various points in the transmit and receive path are evaluated. Based on the parameter values, the transmit and receive attenuators are adjusted to maintain loop stability and to operate the speaker phone in the proper state. Additionally, when the speaker phone adjusts the transmit attenuator for greater signal attenuation in order to maintain loop stability the noise fill-in component of the speaker phone will generate additional background noise to maintain a constant background noise level, as perceived by the far-end user.

Abstract: An image sequence transmission method and apparatus transmit a sequence of images over a communications channel to a receiver. The transmitter has circuitry for estimating, for successive images of the sequence, a measure of the motion displacement vector field for block regions of an image. The transmitter further has coding circuitry for representing each sequentially generated measure as a coded motion vector field, circuitry for generating an error reconstruction signal using the coded motion vector field, and coding circuitry for transmitting the coded motion vector field and the error reconstruction signal over the channel. The error signal generation circuitry has, in particular a motion reconstruction circuit for generating motion reconstruction displacement signals for each block of an image in response to the coded motion vector field, and a motion vector field interpolator for generating from the motion vector field decoded signals, displacement signals for each picture element of the image.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for communicating image sequences through a bandwidth limited channel have circuitry for estimating, for successive images of the sequence, a motion vector field. The motion vector field measures the motion displacement between successive images of the sequence for block regions of the image. A lossy coding circuitry represents the sequentially generated motion vector field for an image as a coded motion signal. An error reconstruction circuitry generates an error signal in response to the vector field coded motion signal and a channel encoder transmits the motion vector field coded signals and the error coded signals over the channel to a receiver. At the receiver, the transmitted error and motion coded signals are received and decoded, and a received image is derived therefrom. The lossy coding circuitry can be any of a number of different circuitries, and in particular, block transform coding can be employed.