Abstract: A transmitter has a transmission path with an IQ modulator and a feedback path with an IQ demodulator. DC offset is determined by estimating a DC offset of the IQ demodulator, adaptively estimating a DC offset of the IQ modulator at least partially from the demodulator DC offset, subtracting the estimated demodulator DC offset from the feedback path and subtracting the estimated modulator DC offset from the transmission path.

Abstract: An optical threshold device including an optical loop having first and second terminals aid including at least one non-linear optical element and at least one optical attenuator; and an optical coupler able to couple a first portion of an input signal to the first terminal and a second portion of the input signal to the second terminal, wherein the optical loop is able to produce a first return signal at the second terminal and a second return signal at the first terminal, and wherein the optical coupler is able to combine the first and second return signals into an output signal.

Abstract: A circuit including a reference element adapted to provide a reference current and having a control terminal and a first terminal, there being a voltage (Vct) between the control terminal and the first terminal of the reference element, and a plurality of series-connected stack elements, each the stack element including a first terminal connected to a first voltage, and a control tern connected to a second terminal, the stack elements being adapted to receive at least one of the reference current and a multiple of the reference current, the stack elements and the reference element being matched such that a voltage between the control terminal and the first terminal of at least one of the stack elements is generally the same as Vct.

Abstract: A pilot acquisition unit for code division multiple access (CDMA) communication systems is provided which includes a fast Hadamard transform (FHT) unit and a pre-Hadamard processing unit. The FHT unit determines the quality, in accordance with a metric, of each of a set of possible pseudo-random number (PN) loadings and the pre-Hadamard processing unit generates a vector u per set of PN loadings. The vector u defines a quality metric of a received pilot signal with the set of possible PN loadings, the pre-Hadamard processing unit providing the vector u to the FHT unit.

Abstract: A fluid turbine for extraction of power from a moving fluid, and that is particularly suitable for use as a wind turbine. The fluid turbine includes, for example, a rotor mounted to a support structure for rotation about a horizontal axis, the rotor having multiple blades extending forwardly and outwardly from a hub, and may include a ring fairing secured to the blades at their outer ends and rotatable with the blades about the axis. The ring fairing may be cocentric with the axis of rotation and may have, at at least one peripheral location thereon, a radial cross-section shaped to develop in operation a circulatory flow about the cross section in such a direction as to increase the velocity of fluid flow between the ring fairing and said hub. In one preferred embodiment of the turbine, the ring fairing cross-sectional shape is an airfoil-section, with a chamber line that is concave outward and forward. Alternatively, the ring faking cross-sectional shape is arcuate, being concave outward and forward.

Abstract: A method for generating a progressive surface includes generating the surface from stored delta data and a substantially spherical surface calculated on-the-fly.

Abstract: A method for defect detection, comprising providing a memory cell array comprising memory cells connected to word lines and local bit lines, and global bit lines connected to the local bit lines, the global bit lines comprising at least two portions, one portion connected to a voltage source, and the other portion connected to a defect detector, the defect detector comprising logic circuit components for outputting a logic signal, and detecting a defect comprising at least one of a short circuit and an open circuit in at least one of the word lines, local bit lines and global bit lines by detecting a signal at the defect detector. Embodiments of apparatus for carrying out the methods of the invention are also disclosed.

Abstract: A portable radio receiver and a method of operating the radio receiver during Standby Mode is provided. The method comprises deactivating at least part of a receive path of a receiver until the start of a data-detection time interval in a frame in the event that estimated values of predetermined characteristics of a signal received by the receiver during the frame are within corresponding thresholds. The predetermined characteristics are affected by pre-conditioning functions performed on the receiver prior to the start of the data-detection time interval.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting movement of an infrared-radiating object within a monitored space is provided. The method of includes exposing the monitored space to a passive infrared sensor having a first sensor element generating a first polarity signal when its field of view senses an infrared-radiating moving object, and a second sensor element generating a second polarity signal when its field of view senses an infrared-radiating moving object and determining the direction of movement of the detected object from the relative sequential order of the first and second polarity signals, for example for detecting intrusions in the monitored space to determine whether the movement direction is a hostile direction or a friendly direction.

Abstract: Passive acoustic sensors having at least two flat parallel acoustically reflecting surfaces. At least one reflecting surface is on a member which is movable such that the distance between the reflecting surfaces varies as a function of a physical variable to be determined. Preferably, the sensor is made such that the intensity of a first portion of incident acoustic waves which is reflected from one reflecting surface is equal or substantially similar to the intensity of a second portion of the incident acoustic waves which is reflected from the other reflecting surface. The first portion and the second portion interfere to form a returning acoustic signal having one or more maximally attenuated frequencies which is correlated with the value of the physical variable. The internal acoustic signal is received and processed to determine the value of the physical variable from one or more of the maximal attenuation frequencies. Methods and systems for using the passive sensors are disclosed.

Abstract: A non-volatile electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) capable of storing two bit of information having a nonconducting charge trapping dielectric, such as silicon nitride, sandwiched between two silicon dioxide layers acting as electrical insulators is disclosed. The invention includes a method of programming, reading and erasing the two bit EEPROM device. The nonconducting dielectric layer functions as an electrical charge trapping medium. A conducting gate layer is placed over the upper silicon dioxide layer. A left and a right bit are stored in physically different areas of the charge trapping layer, near left and right regions of the memory cell, respectively. Each bit of the memory device is programmed in the conventional manner, using hot electron programming, by applying programming voltages to the gate and to either the left or the right region while the other region is grounded.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection device, which includes a number of liquid ejection nozzles, a liquid supply layer including porous material, with the liquid supply layer featuring holes related to the nozzles, and a number of transducers related to the holes for ejecting liquid droplets out through the nozzles.

Abstract: A filter unit for removing leukocytes from a leukocyte-containing suspension by passing the suspension through a filter unit. The filter unit may comprise a main filter for blocking the leukocytes and a post-filter for preventing leakage of the leukocytes having a higher median pore size than the main filter and placed downstream of the main-filter.

Abstract: An energy saving device for acquiring in vivo images of the gastro-intestinal tract is provided. The device, such as an autonomous capsule, includes at least one imaging unit; a control unit connected to the imaging unit and a power supply connected to the control unit. The control unit includes a switching unit and an axial motion detector connected to the switching unit. The axial motion detector detects the axial movement of the device and if the axial acceleration is below a pre-determined threshold, disconnects the power supply thereby preventing the acquisition of redundant images.

Abstract: Onset of coagulation of blood in a blood vessel irradiated by electromagnetic radiation is detected by directing light at the blood vessel and monitoring the intensity of a portion of the light remitted from the blood vessel. An increase or decrease in the monitored light intensity indicates the onset of coagulation. The increase or decrease results from the formation of methemoglobin in the blood which accompanies the onset of coagulation. The methemoglobin is formed by photo conversion or thermal conversion of normal blood oxyhemoglobin. The wavelength of the monitoring light is selected to be different from that of the electromagnetic radiation and is preferably a wavelength for which the ratio of its absorptivity in hemoglobin and its absorptivity in normal blood is less than about one-half or greater than about two.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of AND gates each to receive as input a bit of a first binary vector and a corresponding bit of a second binary vector, where the length of the first binary vector is not greater than the length of the second binary vector. The apparatus also includes a multiple input XOR gate to calculate in a single cycle a scalar product of the first binary vector and the second binary vector by performing an exclusive OR operation on the output of each of the AND gates.

Abstract: A sensor for the measurement of physiological parameters in the blood, including at least one measuring apparatus and a digital sensor signal processor which is arranged in the sensor, and which is connected in a signal conducting manner to the measuring apparatus. The sensor may output a digital output signal, which may be transmitted to a signal evaluation device using a connection cable.

Abstract: A method for advancing pointers in a memory including a sequence of N data points of a stage M of a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) whose first stage is stage 0, the N data points including N/2 a data points and N/2 B data points, the N data points are stored in the memory in 2M groupings of a data points, each of the groupings having 2(Log2N)−1−M data points, and each of the groupings is followed by a grouping of 2(Log2N)−1−M B data points, the method including the steps of a) setting a pointer index Ap equal to the binary value of the data point memory index corresponding to the first A data point in the memory, b) setting a pointer index Bp equal to the binary value of the data point memory index corresponding to the first B data point in the memory, c) setting a first binary bit mask value R1 equal to 2(Log2N)−1−M+1, d) setting a second binary bit mask value R2 equal to 2(Log2N)−1−M, e) advancing the Bp pointer index to the data point memory index correspo

Abstract: Laser skin treatment apparatus includes a handpiece for delivering laser-radiation pulses from a laser to an area of skin being treated. The area being treated is larger than an area treatable in a single firing of the laser. The larger area is treated by treating adjoining sub-areas within the larger area by repeated firings of the laser. The laser is fired automatically depending on the position of the handpiece in the larger area. Several arrangements for determining the position of the handpiece are disclosed. These include optical detection by the handpiece of indicia drawn on the skin being treated; optical, magnetic, or mechanical detection of indicia on a separate guide for the handpiece or on a roller attached to the handpiece; and detection by determining time of travel of signals from a transponder in the handpiece to a fixed reference plane.