Abstract: The herein disclosed motorized window shade system and associated methods for controlling a window shade provide a user with the ability to reduce ambient light during predetermined sleep times and provide the user with the ability to wake up to natural sunlight on a schedule that suits the user's needs. The present invention may be utilized in (and for) all possible sleep situations, but may be utilized most advantageously in residential bedrooms, child nurseries, and hotel rooms to provide users with fully adjustable and customizable sleep cycle(s) delineated by natural light as controlled by the herein disclosed motorized window shade system. An exemplary embodiment of the herein disclosed motorized window shade system comprises: a shade housing surrounding an extendable window shade, wherein the shade housing includes a processor; a motor module for controllably adjusting a shade height of the extendable window shade; a wireless communication device; and a power supply.

Abstract: A power supply arrangement constituted of: an isolated power supply having a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side electrically isolated from the primary side; a common mode choke having a first winding and a second winding wound on a common core, the common mode choke coupled between the primary side of the isolated power supply and an AC mains; and a shielding surrounding the common mode choke, the shielding coupled to a common potential of the secondary side of the isolated power supply.

Abstract: A power source constituted of: a power factor corrector controller; an electronically controlled switch responsive to the power factor corrector controller; a first inductor serially connected with the electronically controlled switch and arranged to pass a direct current there through when the electronically controlled switch is closed; a second inductor magnetically coupled to the first inductor and coupled to provide power to a load in a flyback arrangement; a third inductor magnetically coupled to the first inductor, a first end of the third inductor arranged to provide a representation of the voltage level of the direct current when the electronically controlled switch is closed, and to provide a representation of the voltage level of the power provided to the load when the electronically controlled switch is open; and an off time control circuit in communication with the power factor corrector controller and responsive to the third inductor representations.

Abstract: A power supply arrangement constituted of: an isolated power supply having a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side electrically isolated from the primary side; a common mode choke having a first winding and a second winding wound on a common core, the common mode choke coupled between the primary side of the isolated power supply and an AC mains; and a shielding surrounding the common mode choke, the shielding coupled to a common potential of the secondary side of the isolated power supply.

Abstract: A power source constituted of: a power factor corrector controller; an electronically controlled switch responsive to the power factor corrector controller; a first inductor serially connected with the electronically controlled switch and arranged to pass a direct current there through when the electronically controlled switch is closed; a second inductor magnetically coupled to the first inductor and coupled to provide power to a load in a flyback arrangement; a third inductor magnetically coupled to the first inductor, a first end of the third inductor arranged to provide a representation of the voltage level of the direct current when the electronically controlled switch is closed, and to provide a representation of the voltage level of the power provided to the load when the electronically controlled switch is open; and an off time control circuit in communication with the power factor corrector controller and responsive to the third inductor representations.

Abstract: A delay line calibration circuit is disclosed herein. The calibration circuit has an arbiter circuit having a unit for determining which of two signals that arrive first; a first and a second synchronous element each having an input for receiving a clock signal, and one of them having a unit for outputting the clock signal a clock period later; and a calibration circuit having inputs connected to the outputs of the arbiter circuit for receiving a signal from it indicative of whether the signal input to the arbiter circuit from the delay line is ahead or after the signal input to the arbiter circuit from the second element, the calibration circuit further being connected to the delay line for calibrating the delay line in accordance with the signal received from the arbiter circuit. The invention in at least one embodiment provides improved calibration of delay lines.

Abstract: A delay line calibration circuit is disclosed herein. The calibration circuit has an arbiter circuit having a unit for determining which of two signals that arrive first; a first and a second synchronous element each having an input for receiving a clock signal, and one of them having a unit for outputting the clock signal a clock period later; and a calibration circuit having inputs connected to the outputs of the arbiter circuit for receiving a signal from it indicative of whether the signal input to the arbiter circuit from the delay line is ahead or after the signal input to the arbiter circuit from the second element, the calibration circuit further being connected to the delay line for calibrating the delay line in accordance with the signal received from the arbiter circuit. The invention in at least one embodiment provides improved calibration of delay lines.

Abstract: An apparatus coupled to a low speed tester and a device is disclosed. The device may have a first speed faster than a second speed of the low speed tester. The apparatus may be configured to allow the low speed tester to perform high speed tests of the device at the first speed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for discriminating against false touches in a touchscreen system is provided. The system is designed to confirm a touch registered by one touch sensor with another touch sensor, preferably of a different sensor type, prior to acting upon the touch (i.e., sending touch coordinates to the operating system). If the touch registered by the first touch sensor is not confirmed by the second touch sensor, the touch is invalidated. Thus the strengths of one type of sensor are used to overcome the deficiencies of another type of sensor. In one aspect, the secondary touch sensor comprises a force sensor to discriminate between true and false touches on other types of touch sensors, such as contaminants on optical and surface acoustic wave sensors, noise or weak signals on capacitive sensors, etc. The force sensor may be a simple one-element system that merely indicates that a touch has occurred or a multi-element system that can provide confirming or supplementary coordinate data.

Abstract: A paperless system for identifying and controlling biomedical specimens and managing essential information associated with such specimens. The invention provides a diagnostic or toxicology specimen container having an electronic memory tag for remote non-contact recording and reading of data stored therein. The invention also provides improved methods for controlling the identity of such specimens, coordinating the relay of such specimens between remote specimen collection sites and reference laboratories, and managing essential information associated with such specimens by using the electronic memory tags.