Abstract: In accordance with at least selected aspects, objects or embodiments, optimized, novel or improved membranes, battery separators, batteries, and/or systems and/or related methods of manufacture, use and/or optimization are provided. In accordance with at least selected embodiments, the present invention is related to novel or improved battery separators that prevent dendrite growth, prevent internal shorts due to dendrite growth, or both, batteries incorporating such separators, systems incorporating such batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use and/or optimization thereof. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, the present invention is related to novel or improved ultra thin or super thin membranes or battery separators, and/or lithium primary batteries, cells or packs incorporating such separators, and/or systems incorporating such batteries, cells or packs.

Abstract: A cushion member having improved variable stiffness for a target is provided. The cushion member comprises a cushion housing having an interior with a variable internal pressure and an exterior surface for receiving the target. The cushion housing is arranged to be deformable and comprises granular particles disposed in the interior of the cushion housing. The cushion housing further comprises hollow particles disposed therein with the granular particles. Each hollow particle is compressible and hollow to define a void therein. The hollow particles have a size, a wall thickness, a material, and a bulk modulus defining infill properties thereof. The hollow particles and the granular particles are arranged to allow the cushion housing to be deformed upon contact with the target. The hollow particles and granular particles define a cushion infill having a variable stiffness based on the infill properties and the variable internal pressure of the interior.

Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a seat back pivotally moveable between an upright position and a reclined position, and at least one upper arm support selectively moveable between a stowed position and an extended position, the at least one upper arm support adapted to provide support for an upper arm of an occupant when the seat back of the vehicle seat is in the reclined position and the at least one upper arm support is in the extended position.

Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one fender member supported by a vehicle and a tie down member associated with the at least one fender member. The tie down member is movable between a use position and a stowed position.

Abstract: A virtual beacon system that provides proximity alerts is described. The proximity alerts are based on the location of a mobile device (100) and a location of interest. The method may include the steps of providing sensor readings for signals, calculating a mobile device location, determining the distance between a mobile device and a product location (202) and generating a proximity trigger (208). A described virtual beacon system includes a monitoring access point (104) for providing sensor readings and transmitting proximity triggers, a location cloud service (106) for calculating a mobile device (100) location and proximity alert service (108) for generating proximity triggers based on the mobile device location.

Abstract: A vehicle or other mobile communication entity (102) locates objects using received (typically radio frequency) signals (104, 106). These received signals included multi-path versions of the transmitted signals (104). The received signals may include packets having location information of the transmission source. The receiving vehicle may track, or know, its own position. The receiving entity may determine properties for a multi-path version of the signal (208, 210). These properties may include a delay, a Doppler and an angle of reception (122, 124) for one or more multi-path versions of the received signal. The receiving entity may also measure an imbalance (504) induced between a pair (or more) of antenna elements (302) for a particular multi-path version of the signal received. This imbalance may be dependent on the angle of arrival of the particular signal being received.

Abstract: A virtual beacon system that provides proximity alerts is described. The proximity alerts are based on the location of a mobile device (100) and a location of interest. The method may include the steps of providing sensor readings for signals, calculating a mobile device location, determining the distance between a mobile device and a product location (202) and generating a proximity trigger (208). A described virtual beacon system includes a monitoring access point (104) for providing sensor readings and transmitting proximity triggers, a location cloud service (106) for calculating a mobile device (100) location and proximity alert service (108) for generating proximity triggers based on the mobile device location.

Abstract: A vehicle or other mobile communication entity (102) locates objects using received (typically radio frequency) signals (104, 106). These received signals included multi-path versions of the transmitted signals (104). The received signals may include packets having location information of the transmission source. The receiving vehicle may track, or know, its own position. The receiving entity may determine properties for a multi-path version of the signal (208, 210). These properties may include a delay, a Doppler and an angle of reception (122, 124) for one or more multi-path versions of the received signal. The receiving entity may also measure an imbalance (504) induced between a pair (or more) of antenna elements (302) for a particular multi-path version of the signal received. This imbalance may be dependent on the angle of arrival of the particular signal being received.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for processing data in a wireless communication network. Iterative estimation techniques are used to enable tracking of time-varying communication channels. A signal is transmitted over a channel in the network, the signal comprising a sequence of symbols carried on a plurality of sub-carriers. Boot-up estimator (304) estimates, in a time domain, parameters of a model of the channel based on the received signal. A domain converter (206) transforms at least one of the estimated parameters from the time domain to provide at least one transformed parameter in a second domain. An equalizer (210) and decoder (212) determine estimates of symbols from the received signal using the at least one transformed parameter, and tracking estimator (314) updates the estimated model parameters during reception of the signal using at least one estimated symbol.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for improving receiver performance in a multicarrier communication network in which an encoded symbol (250) is transmitted over a transmission channel (20) in the communications system. A model of the transmission channel (20) is estimated (718, 760), said model characterising an effect of intercarrier interference on at least one carrier in the multicarrier system. The received symbol (250) is decoded (720, 762) using the estimated model to remove a predicted effect of intercarrier interference. A pre-processor (40) is also described for operation in conjunction with a communications receiver (30) in the network. The pre-processor (40) includes a channel estimator (42) operable to estimate at least one feature of the communication channel based on a received signal. The pre-processor (40) modifies the received signal dependent on the at least one estimated feature and provides the modified signal to the communications receiver (30).

Abstract: A data processing device (100, 300) is described forming part of a receiver for a multicarrier communications system. The data processing device is configured to process at least one observed symbol to generate an information bit estimate for the symbol, and includes a channel prediction stage configured to receive an observed symbol and at least one feedback signal representing an estimate of a transmitted symbol and to generate a channel prediction. At least one initial processing stream (104) is configured to process the observed symbol on the basis of a channel prediction calculated at a respective time by the channel prediction stage and to output a signal representing an estimate of a transmitted symbol corresponding to the observed symbol for feed back into the channel prediction stage.