Abstract: A vehicular adapter system is described having wireless local area network (WLAN) capabilities. The adapter system includes an adapter configured to plug into a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle. The adapter has a WLAN module contained therein, and is configured to electrically couple the WLAN module to a wireless communication device. The WLAN module is operable to communicate with other WLAN-enabled devices in the vehicle, such as a head unit with another embedded WLAN module. The interoperability of the WLAN modules provide hands-free audio operation of a radiotelephone that is not WLAN-enabled using existing vehicular audio transducers.

Abstract: A method of coordinating events in a microprocessor-based electronic device having a sleep mode to reduce current drain includes a first step of determining a list of times to perform associated operating system events requiring a wake-up period for the device. A next step includes establishing a timing of fixed events wherein the electronic device enters a wake-up period to perform the fixed events. A next step includes delaying the time for an operating system event to coincide with a fixed event such that the electronic device utilizes one coincident wake-up period to perform both of the operating system event and the fixed event. This removes the current drain associated with entering and exited an additional sleep period.

Abstract: A method of operating a user station in a cellular communications system. The method relates to determining and allocating a plurality of operating resources, including at least one processing resource and at least one cellular communications resource, to a plurality of applications. The method includes assessing application requirements with respect to the processing resources in association with the application's requirements with respect to the cellular communications resources. Also described is corresponding apparatus for operating a user station. Also described is a storage medium storing processor-implementable instructions and a signal carrying processor-implementable instructions.

Abstract: A group of independent wireless apparatus (106a–106n) in a wireless local area network are identified and coordinated (aggregated) using the short-range wireless area network (wireless LAN). Each wireless apparatus receives information from a wireless wide area network (wireless WAN) such as a conventional cellular system. The plurality of independent proximal wireless apparatus (106b–106n) receive the same information that is ultimately destined for one of the wireless apparatus in the proximal group in the wireless local area network. Each proximal wireless apparatus (106b–106n) that has received the same information from the wide area network then retransmits or forwards the same information to the destination wireless apparatus (106a). Accordingly, the plurality of wireless apparatus in the local area network receive the same information from a wide area network and forward it, using the short range wireless communication system, to a destination wireless apparatus in the local area network.

Abstract: A control module (100) includes a first signal processing unit (102) that is coupled to a second signal processing unit (114) by a control bus (130), an address bus (131) and a data bus (132). The control module conveys seed value addresses (108) and expected result addresses (110) over the address bus, seed values (118) and verification set output values (107) over the data bus, and compares each verification set output value to an expected result (120), thereby allowing the control module to determine whether the first signal processing unit, the control bus, the address bus, and the data bus are collectively functioning correctly. By properly selecting the seed value addresses, expected result addresses, seed values, and expected results (and correspondingly, verification set output values), proper operation of each line of the address bus and control bus may be individually verified.

Abstract: A method to reduce crossmodulation in a multimode radio communication device with a transmitter, a receiver, and a second receiver (400) that operates in a receiver channel bandwidth (402) includes a step of measuring a first signal strength in the receiver channel bandwidth (404), a second signal strength outside of the receiver channel bandwidth (406), and a power level of the transmitter. A next step (408) includes determining a signal-to-crossmodulation interference ratio (SCMIR). A next step (410) includes calculating a SCMIR threshold. A next step (412) includes comparing the ratio to the threshold. A next step (416,420) includes increasing the linearity of the receiver if the ratio is less than the threshold.

Abstract: A method for power control in spread spectrum communication systems includes a first step of providing multiplexed registers coupled to a control circuit and controlled by a control signal. A next step includes measuring a transmit power. Next steps include receiving TPC information, and determining whether the TPC information calls for an increase or decrease in power. A next step includes comparing the TPC information to the last TPC information, wherein if the TPC information is the same as the last TPC information, calculating a new power control value using the TPC information and measured transmit power, and writing the new power control value to the next selected register. A next step includes applying the control signal corresponding to the next selected register to the multiplexer to couple the value of next selected register to the control circuit.

Abstract: A method for extracting components from signals in an electronic sensor (50) having a sensing element (52). The sensing element (52) generates a first signal (60) and a second signal (62). The method comprises the steps of: receiving the first signal (60) from the sensing element (52), the first signal (60) having a frequency at an event; sampling the second signal (62) from the sensing element (52) based on the frequency of the event, the second signal (62) having a plurality of components, one of the plurality of components being a first component of interest (112, 114); generating a synchronized second signal (100) in a time domain, the second signal (62) having the plurality of components; generating complex data (110) in a frequency domain from the synchronized second signal (100) in the time domain; determining the first component of interest (112, 114) from the complex data (110); and normalizing the first component of interest (112, 114) using amplitude information from the first signal (60).

Abstract: A frequency-controlled load driver circuit includes a steady-state and a transient operational mode. A switching driver switches a load current to a solenoid at a set switching frequency during a steady-state operational mode. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) oversamples a sense resistor voltage an integer number of times within each period of the switching frequency. A control circuit sets the switching frequency of the driver during the steady-state operational mode by providing predetermined switching times. The control circuit disables switching during the transient mode. Dither can be applied during the steady-state mode.

Abstract: A communication device with an extending hinged flip apparatus includes three interconnected movable housings. A base housing includes a user interface and most of the electronics of the device. A flip housing is coupled by a hinge assembly to the base housing. An extendable housing is configured to slideably engage the base housing. A latch mechanism mechanically coupling the flip housing to the extendable housing in a latched position. When the latched is released, the flip housing rotates out and the extendable housing extends to provide a device with a length that is effectively more than double the device length in the latched position.

Abstract: A dual access peripheral interface uses a shared data bus (16) for communication with dual master units (30,32) coupled to a common peripheral device (34). Each master control unit provides a shared subset of control bits to a logic configuration block (48), which combines the control bits in a logic operation to present to the slave peripheral unit (34). The logic configuration block (48) is configured by configuration bits accessible by only one of the master units (30). In this way, both of the master units can access the peripheral at the same time with the logic of the logic configuration block determining the ultimate control of the peripheral.

Abstract: A flexible circuit board assembly and method includes a rigid circuit board having a first portion and a second portion separated by a bending region. A plurality of grooves are cut into the bending region. The grooves are cut substantially parallel to an axis about which the bending region is bent. Preferably, the grooves are located on an inside bending radius of the circuit board, but can be located on the outside radius or both.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for design for manufacturing includes importing real-time manufacturing data (106) for a first product (110) into a design-for-manufacturing software module (102), importing design data (108) for a second product (112) into the design-for-manufacturing software module (102). Design-for-manufacturing software module (102) compares the real-time manufacturing data to the design data and flags an overlapping element (114) of the real-time manufacturing data and the design data, wherein the overlapping element meets a variance criteria (116).

Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment, the present technique relates to a fuel sensor for determining operational fuel level (hnew) in a fuel tank (14). In the exemplary embodiment, an isolated airspace (44) is created. By monitoring the pressure conditions in the isolated airspace 44 as well as the pressure and temperature conditions in the remainder (42) of the tank (14), the operational fuel level (hnew) may be determined.

Abstract: Decoding signals represented by a trellis of block length N divided into windows of length L includes a step of decoding a forward recursion from a point P that is before the beginning of a window up to the beginning of the window. P is chosen at a sufficient distance from the beginning of the window such that forward recursion determines a known state metric at the beginning of the window. A next step includes decoding the window using forward recursion from the known state at the beginning of the window up to the end of the window to define a set of known forward recursion state metrics which are stored. A next step includes decoding using backward recursion starting from a known state at the end of the window and moving backward. A next step includes calculating a soft output at each stage of the backward recursion using the stored forward recursion state metrics, and branch metrics at each stage, and outputting the soft output for that stage in a LIFO format.

Abstract: An interface circuit (100) and method for interfacing received digital signals, relative to a first ground potential, for transmission on the bus, relative to a second ground potential. A transformer (106) passes edges of the received digital signals. A Schmitt trigger (110) reconstructs signals from the edges of signals passed by the transformer, so as to produce digital signals, for transmission on the bus, relative to the second ground potential. The Schmitt trigger bias points may be set by an oscillators incorporating another Schmitt triggers (120) located on the same semiconductor die to reduce temperature variability.

Abstract: A unique method for providing entertainment to a portable device, such as a wireless communication device, is disclosed. The method includes steps of receiving location information related to said wireless communication device; providing challenges associated with a game to a user of a wireless communication; providing rewards in response to answers based upon the location of said wireless communication device. The method finds particular application in vehicles having telematics communications products.

Abstract: A method and system for a misfire detection acquires (301) a series of acceleration data (302) representative of acceleration behavior of an engine. The data is sampled (304) to obtain acceleration data samples at a rate sufficient to obtain up to fourth-order perturbations of the data. The samples are filtered (322) to provide bandwidth limited samples, which are provided to at least two channels (325, 329). The samples are pattern matched (332) in a first channel to enhance harmonic phenomena and pattern canceled (330) in a second channel to enhance random phenomena. Hard and random misfires are detected (334) dependent on a magnitude of the filtered acceleration data samples. Preferably, a third channel (335) is added to detect multiple misfires.

Abstract: A method for reducing current drain in a communication device includes a step of determining when the communication device is transmitting. A next step includes lowering the current level to the receiver when communication device is not transmitting. A next step includes raising the current level to the receiver when communication device is transmitting. Changing the current level alters the linearity of the receiver. As a result, the communication device reduces power consumption while operating in a traffic channel. The system is applicable to full duplex systems such as code division multiple access (CDMA) systems.

Abstract: Decoding signals represented by a trellis of block length N divided into windows of length L includes a step of decoding a backward recursion from a point P that is after the end of a window back to the end of the window. P is chosen at a sufficient distance from the end of the window such that backward recursion determines a known state metric at the end of the window. A next step includes decoding the window using backward recursion from the known state at the end of the window back to the beginning of the window to define a set of known backward recursion state metrics which are stored. A next step includes decoding using forward recursion starting from a known state at the beginning of the window and moving forward. A next step includes calculating a soft output at each stage of the forward recursion using the stored backward recursion state metrics, and branch metrics at each stage, and outputting the soft output for that stage.