Abstract: A device includes a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a first battery connection, a second battery connection, and a mechanical coupling apparatus. The first battery connection is for providing a first electrical connection to a first terminal of a battery. The second battery connection is for providing a second electrical connection to a second terminal of the battery. When the flexible PCB is in a first flex position, the first and second battery connections are at a distance where at least one of the first battery connection and the second battery connection is not electrically coupled to the respective one of the first and second terminals of the battery. When the flexible PCB is in a second flex position, the battery is electrically coupled to the first and second battery terminals and is mechanically held in place by the mechanical coupling apparatus.

Abstract: A label sensor that can be affixed to an item includes a first section and a second section. The first section includes a memory, an environmental sensor, a radio frequency (RF) front end that includes a tuning circuit, and a processing module. The processing module is operably coupled to the memory, the environmental sensor, and the RF front end. The second section includes an activation circuit that is operable, upon receiving an input, to activate one or more of the memory, the environmental sensor, the RF front end and the processing module. The activation causes the label sensor to be put in a first operational mode of a plurality of operational modes.

Abstract: A device includes a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a first battery connection, a second battery connection, and a mechanical coupling apparatus. The first battery connection is for providing a first electrical connection to a first terminal of a battery. The second battery connection is for providing a second electrical connection to a second terminal of the battery. When the flexible PCB is in a first flex position, the first and second battery connections are at a distance where at least one of the first battery connection and the second battery connection is not electrically coupled to the respective one of the first and second terminals of the battery. When the flexible PCB is in a second flex position, the battery is electrically coupled to the first and second battery terminals and is mechanically held in place by the mechanical coupling apparatus.

Abstract: A device includes a first printed circuit board (PCB) section, a second PCB section and a flexible section. The first PCB section a first battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a first terminal of the battery and a first mechanical coupling apparatus. The second PCB section includes a second battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a second terminal of the battery and a second mechanical coupling apparatus. The flexible section is coupled to the first and second PCBs, and when in a first position, the battery connections are not electrically coupled to a respective one of the terminals of the battery. When in a second position, the first mechanical coupling apparatus is mechanically coupled to the second mechanical coupling apparatus and the battery is electrically coupled to the first and second battery terminals.

Abstract: A label sensor that can be affixed to an item includes a first section and a second section. The first section includes a memory, an environmental sensor, a radio frequency (RF) front end that includes a tuning circuit, and a processing module. The processing module is operably coupled to the memory, the environmental sensor, and the RF front end. The second section includes an activation circuit that is operable, upon receiving an input, to activate one or more of the memory, the environmental sensor, the RF front end and the processing module. The activation causes the label sensor to be put in a first operational mode of a plurality of operational modes.

Abstract: A label sensor that can be affixed to an item includes a first section and a second section. The first section includes a memory, an environmental sensor, a radio frequency (RF) front end, and a processing module. The processing module is operably coupled to the memory, the environmental sensor, and the RF front end. The second section includes an activation circuit that is operable, upon receiving an input, to activate one or more of the memory, the environmental sensor, the RF front end and the processing module. The activation causes the label sensor to be put in an operational mode of a plurality of operational modes.

Abstract: A device includes a first printed circuit board (PCB) section, a second PCB section and a flexible section. The first PCB section a first battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a first terminal of the battery and a first mechanical coupling apparatus. The second PCB section includes a second battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a second terminal of the battery and a second mechanical coupling apparatus. The flexible section is coupled to the first and second PCBs, and when in a first position, the battery connections are not electrically coupled to a respective one of the terminals of the battery. When in a second position, the first mechanical coupling apparatus is mechanically coupled to the second mechanical coupling apparatus and the battery is electrically coupled to the first and second battery terminals.

Abstract: A label sensor that can be affixed to an item includes a first section and a second section. The first section includes a memory, an environmental sensor, a radio frequency (RF) front end, and a processing module. The processing module is operably coupled to the memory, the environmental sensor, and the RF front end. The second section includes an activation circuit that is operable, upon receiving an input, to activate one or more of the memory, the environmental sensor, the RF front end and the processing module. The activation causes the label sensor to be put in an operational mode of a plurality of operational modes.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a processing module, battery, input and/or output module, a first printed circuit board (PCB) section, a second PCB section and a flexible section. The first PCB section includes a mounting section for the processing module, a first battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a first terminal of the battery and a first mechanical coupling apparatus (MCA). The second PCB section includes a second battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a second terminal of the battery and a second MCA. The flexible section is coupled to the first and second PCBs, and when in a first position, the battery connections are not electrically coupled to a respective one of the terminals of the battery. When in a second position, the first MCA is mechanically coupled to the second MCA and the battery is electrically coupled to the first and second battery terminals.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a processing module, battery, input and/or output module, a first printed circuit board (PCB) section, a second PCB section and a flexible section. The first PCB section includes a mounting section for the processing module, a first battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a first terminal of the battery and a first mechanical coupling apparatus (MCA). The second PCB section includes a second battery connection for providing an electrical connection to a second terminal of the battery and a second MCA. The flexible section is coupled to the first and second PCBs, and when in a first position, the battery connections are not electrically coupled to a respective one of the terminals of the battery. When in a second position, the first MCA is mechanically coupled to the second MCA and the battery is electrically coupled to the first and second battery terminals.

Abstract: A full duplex voice communication method constituted of: estimating an acoustic echo within a near-end signal; cancelling the estimated acoustic echo; detecting whether, or not, a change has occurred in a near-end acoustic echo path, the received near-end signal represents speech and the received far-end signal represents silence, wherein, responsive to the results thereof, the method is further constituted of: alternately attenuating frequency components of the echo cancelled near-end signal by a first frequency domain attenuation value and by a second greater frequency domain attenuation value; alternately attenuating a first function of the frequency component attenuated echo cancelled near-end signal by a first switchable attenuation value and by a second greater switchable attenuation value; and alternately attenuating a second function of the received far-end signal by a third switchable attenuation value and by a fourth greater switchable attenuation value.

Abstract: A comfort noise generation apparatus constituted of: near and far end speech detectors arranged to detect speech activity in near-end and far-end signals and a comfort noise generator, wherein responsive to an indication from the near-end speech detector that speech activity is absent on the near-end signal and an indication from the far-end silence detector that speech activity is absent on the far-end signal, the comfort noise generator is arranged to initiate a determination of an estimation of near-end background noise, wherein responsive to an indication from the near-end speech detector that speech activity is present on the near-end signal or an indication from the far-end silence detector that speech activity is present on the far-end signal, the comfort noise generator is arranged to terminate the estimation determination of near-end background noise, and wherein the comfort noise generator is arranged to output a function of the near-end background noise estimation.

Abstract: An acoustic echo path change detection apparatus constituted of: a time domain path change detection functionality arranged to: detect a change in a near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a time domain analysis of a near-end signal and a signal output by an acoustic echo canceller; and output an indication of the detected change, a frequency domain path change detection functionality arranged to: detect a change in the near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a frequency domain analysis of a far-end signal and the signal output by the acoustic echo canceller; and output an indication of the detected change, and a combination path change detection functionality arranged to: determine a first function of the output indication of the time domain path change detection functionality and the output indication of the frequency domain path change detection functionality; and output the determined first function.

Abstract: A full duplex voice communication method constituted of: estimating an acoustic echo within a near-end signal; cancelling the estimated acoustic echo; detecting whether, or not, a change has occurred in a near-end acoustic echo path, the received near-end signal represents speech and the received far-end signal represents silence, wherein, responsive to the results thereof, the method is further constituted of: alternately attenuating frequency components of the echo cancelled near-end signal by a first frequency domain attenuation value and by a second greater frequency domain attenuation value; alternately attenuating a first function of the frequency component attenuated echo cancelled near-end signal by a first switchable attenuation value and by a second greater switchable attenuation value; and alternately attenuating a second function of the received far-end signal by a third switchable attenuation value and by a fourth greater switchable attenuation value.

Abstract: An acoustic echo path change detection apparatus constituted of: a time domain path change detection functionality arranged to: detect a change in a near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a time domain analysis of a near-end signal and a signal output by an acoustic echo canceller; and output an indication of the detected change, a frequency domain path change detection functionality arranged to: detect a change in the near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a frequency domain analysis of a far-end signal and the signal output by the acoustic echo canceller; and output an indication of the detected change, and a combination path change detection functionality arranged to: determine a first function of the output indication of the time domain path change detection functionality and the output indication of the frequency domain path change detection functionality; and output the determined first function.

Abstract: A comfort noise generation apparatus constituted of: near and far end speech detectors arranged to detect speech activity in near-end and far-end signals and a comfort noise generator, wherein responsive to an indication from the near-end speech detector that speech activity is absent on the near-end signal and an indication from the far-end silence detector that speech activity is absent on the far-end signal, the comfort noise generator is arranged to initiate a determination of an estimation of near-end background noise, wherein responsive to an indication from the near-end speech detector that speech activity is present on the near-end signal or an indication from the far-end silence detector that speech activity is present on the far-end signal, the comfort noise generator is arranged to terminate the estimation determination of near-end background noise, and wherein the comfort noise generator is arranged to output a function of the near-end background noise estimation.

Abstract: A clock generator with glitchless phase adjustment having a phase locked loop with a controlled oscillator providing an output representing a phase value. One or more output modules generate one or more output clocks from the output. One or more adjustment modules add a requested phase adjustment to an output clock. The phase adjustment modules are configured to break the requested phase adjustment into smaller increments and apply the increments to an output clock generated in said at the output modules one cycle at a time.

Abstract: A digital phase locked loop has a phase acquisition module that outputs a first phase value representative of the phase of a reference signal expressed with respect to an internal phase reference. A phase offset write module convert a phases offset commanded from an external source into a phase offset correction value expressed with respect to the internal phase reference. A phase offset controller sums the phase offset correction values to produce a second phase value, which is added to the first phase value to produce a third phase value expressed with respect to the internal phase reference. A digital controlled oscillator (DCO) outputs a fourth phase value expressed with respect to the internal phase reference. A phase detector outputs a fifth phase value representing the difference between the third and fourth phase values. A loop filter derives a frequency offset for the DCO based on the fifth phase value. An output module generates one or more output clocks from the fourth phase value.

Abstract: A digital phase locked loop has a phase acquisition module that outputs a first phase value representative of the phase of a reference signal expressed with respect to an internal phase reference. A phase offset write module convert a phases offset commanded from an external source into a phase offset correction value expressed with respect to the internal phase reference. A phase offset controller sums the phase offset correction values to produce a second phase value, which is added to the first phase value to produce a third phase value expressed with respect to the internal phase reference. A digital controlled oscillator (DCO) outputs a fourth phase value expressed with respect to the internal phase reference. A phase detector outputs a fifth phase value representing the difference between the third and fourth phase values. A loop filter derives a frequency offset for the DCO based on the fifth phase value. An output module generates one or more output clocks from the fourth phase value.

Abstract: A clock generator with glitchless phase adjustment having a phase locked loop with a controlled oscillator providing an output representing a phase value. One or more output modules generate one or more output clocks from the output. One or more adjustment modules add a requested phase adjustment to an output clock. The phase adjustment modules are configured to break the requested phase adjustment into smaller increments and apply the increments to an output clock generated in said at the output modules one cycle at a time.