Abstract: A hearing assist device (10) for a person (P). The device comprises a speaker device (SP1) for presenting sound to an ear canal of the person and circuitry for identifying a specified area relative to the person. The device further comprises a first microphone (M1) for providing a first sound signal in response to a first sound source located inside the area and in response to a second sound source located outside the area. Further, the device comprises a second microphone (M2) for providing a second sound signal in response to the first sound source and the second sound source. Still further, the device comprises circuitry (16) for determining a position of the first sound source and the second sound source in response to the specified area, the first sound signal and the second signal. Finally, the device comprises circuitry (16) for outputting a processed signal in response to the position.

Abstract: A method (10) for determining a frequency hopping sequence for a newly-entering network. The method comprises the step of scanning (16) a plurality of frequency channels. For each of the plurality of frequency channels, the scanning step comprises detecting whether a signal (18, 22) exists on the channel and recording information (20, 24) corresponding to each channel on which a signal is detected. Finally, and responsive to the recorded information, the method forms (30) the frequency hopping sequence.

Abstract: A group of client calculators (18) communicates by determining whether a aster calculator (14) is a member of the group. If the master calculator (14) is present, the client calculators (18) determine whether the master calculator (14) has allowed communication between the client calculators (14). The client calculators may communicate if the master calculator (14) is not present or if the master calculator (14) is present and has allowed communications between other of the client calculators (18).

Abstract: The present invention provides a wireless network including a master processing device (14) for generating information and broadcasting the information through wireless, transmission of signals and a plurality of client processing devices (18) having circuitry for receiving the information from the master processing device (14) and transmitting other information to the master processing device (14). The master processing device (14) selects one of the plurality of client processing devices (18) to acknowledge the receipt of the information from the master processing device.

Abstract: A display device (10) for wirelessly receiving internet content, in the form of HTML commands (12), as well as commands for controlling operation of the display device (10). The display device (10) has an embedded processor (22), programmed with a browser to interpret the HTML commands, and additional programming for generating pixel data based on the HTML commands and associated data files. A display engine (26) receives the pixel data and generates displays.

Abstract: In a virtual reality system (20) an operator perceives being in a virtual reality world (74) of virtual reality images (62). The system (20) models the relative position and movement of objects (208 and 210) in a virtual reality world (74) by representing graphically a first (208) and second (210) object in a virtual reality world (74) on a graphical display (60 and 68). The representation selective obscures the first (208) and second (210) objects according to the relative position of the objects (208 and 210) to a predetermined observation point in the virtual reality world (74). The system (20) then determines a first partitioning plane (204) between the first (208) and second (210) objects. Then, the system (20) method determines a second partition plane (206) between the first (208) and second (210) object in response to either of said first (208) or second (210) objects moving across the first partitioning plane (204).

Abstract: A network (10) of mobile computing devices (18) communicates by receiving and rebroadcasting messages using wireless transmission. A message is initiated by first mobile computing device and transmitted to a set of other mobile computing devices which may be selected on an ad hoc basis. The receiving mobile computing devices rebroadcast the message to other of the mobile computing devices (18) which have not received the message. The message is repeatedly rebroadcast until all mobile computing devices (18) have received the message or, if the message is intended for particular selected mobile computing devices (18), until all selected devices have received the message.