Abstract: A method and system for determining the transmission rate between a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are provided. Each mobile station evaluates the current link condition based on the Received Signal Strength (RSS) from received frames and adjusts a new transmission rate according to predetermined criteria, which is updated based on whether the transmission of subsequent signals is successful.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for queuing and presenting audio messages in a communication system comprising an audio controller and audio message computer software. The audio controller receives overlapping audio messages that have portions that have been simultaneously received by the audio controller. The audio controller separately stores the audio messages in a queue in an audio buffer and then sequentially plays the messages. The audio controller may delay playing an audio message for a predetermined period of time or until the audio controller receives a control signal from a user. The user may select an audio message to be played from a list that displays the names of the senders of the audio messages. The audio controller may obtain a timestamp from a video program and associate an audio message to be played with the video program.

Abstract: A storage compartment is equipped with a light emitting diode (LED) light source for illuminating contents inside the compartment. The LED light source includes a LED light engine outside the compartment and a light guide inside the compartment. The light guide is optically coupled to be LED light engine to bring light from the LED light engine into the compartment for providing illumination inside the compartment. The LED light engine may include red, green, and blue LEDs that contribute to the illumination inside the compartment. Respective outputs of the red, green, and blue LEDs may be separately controllable to allow a variably controlled color point of illumination inside the compartment. Total output of the LED light engine may be controllable to vary intensity of illumination inside the compartment.

Abstract: A plasma display with a carrier plate, a transparent front plate, a ribbed structure which subdivides the space between the carrier plate and the front plate into plasma cells, which cells are filled with a gas, with one or several electrode arrays for generating corona discharges in the plasma cells, and with a phosphor layer which comprises a phosphor chosen from the group of doped europium(II)-activated barium-magnesium aluminates with the general formula Ba1−xMxMgAl10O17−0.5x:Eu with 0<x≦0.5 and M=Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs; BaMg1−yMyAl10O17−0.5y:Eu with 0<y≦0.5 and M=Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs; and BaMgAl10−zNzO17−0.5z:Eu with 0<z≦5.0 and N=Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Zn has an improved blue color point and color contrast. The invention also relates to a phosphor chosen from the group of doped europium(II)-activated barium-magnesium aluminates with the general formula Ba1−xMxMgAl10O17−0.5x:Eu with 0<x≦0.

Abstract: The invention relates to a display device comprising LC panels arranged next to each other. To reduce the visibility of a seam between two adjacent LC panels and to avoid grey scale inversion, collimated light is applied. A lenticular foil is used to enlarge the viewing angle in the horizontal direction. If the seam is only present in a vertical direction, the widest viewing angle in the vertical direction should be chosen. This choice leads to an asymmetric viewing angle in a horizontal direction. To reduce the asymmetry in the horizontal viewing angle, the lenticulars of the screen have a trapezoidal shape. The apex angle depends on the desired spread and viewing angle symmetry in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A reset driving scheme for addressing a switching mirror display enables current to flow in two directions through the switching elements. The display is forced into a predefined state and drives the display into the other optical states by using an addressable TFT providing a continous current.

Abstract: In color display tubes (1) with a dotted shadow mask (13) structure and an in-line electron gun (10), the geometry of the screen (6) and the deflection field produced by the deflection unit (11) cause triad rotation, which is a rotation of the three phosphor dots (red, green and blue) corresponding to one aperture of the shadow mask (13) with respect to the horizontal scan lines (35). This problem can be solved by giving the horizontal lines (35) a curved shape. However, in the prior art situation a parabolic shape is used, leading to severe moiré problems, because the vertical pitch asv (38) is influenced too strongly at the vertical screen edges. This problem can be overcome by using fourth order or even sixth order terms in the shape of the horizontal lines (35). A pure fourth order function reduces the vertical pitch asv 38 variation by 50% with respect to the parabolic prior-art situation, and a pure sixth order function even leads to a reduction by 67%.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a cone glass for a display tube. The cone glass according to the invention is obtained by mixing a first portion of glass fragments having a known composition with a second portion of vitrifying materials, wherein the first portion contains glass fragments of cone glass and screen glass of a display tube, and wherein the composition of the second portion is chosen to be such that at least one of the physical properties of X-ray absorption, electrical resistance, thermal coefficient of expansion and viscosity is in a desired range.

Abstract: An image sensor comprises rows and columns of pixels. Each pixel comprises an image sensing element and a switching device. The switching device enables a signal of the image sensing element to be provided to the associated column conductor. The switching device has two inputs—a first input defined by the row conductor, and a second input. Two adjacent columns of pixels are associated with each column conductor, and the two columns of pixels between adjacent column conductors are associated with a respective shared control line providing the second input. The switch arrangement with two inputs enables individual pixels to be isolated. The sharing of control lines between pairs of columns of pixels means that each pixel requires the same number of connections as in a conventional array with only a single switch control input.

Abstract: A rear-projection display system comprises a light engine, a beam-splitter that receives light from the light engine, a projection lens that receives an image from the beam-splitter, a rear-projection screen, and a mirror that receives the image from the projection lens and reflects it onto the screen. The beam-splitter has a reflecting element, receives an image, and reflects the image off the reflecting element at an angle of incidence that is substantially unequal to 45 degrees.

Abstract: A signal converter includes a digital/analog converter and a low pass filter. The converter includes control means for amending the ratio of sampling frequencies of the D/A input signal and the D/A output signal or of the low pass filter.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device including a layer having a fixed cholesteric order, the patterned layer is manufactured by providing a layer comprising polymerizable cholesterically ordered material and a compound convertible by means of radiation from a non-converted to converted state. The pitch of the cholesterically ordered material is influenced by the compound in its converted state to a different extent than in its converted state. The polymerizable layer is then irradiated pattern-wise thus creating regions of different pitch. The irradiated layer is then polymerized and/or cross-linked to fix the cholesteric order thus obtained.

Abstract: A multi-stripe scrolling apparatus has a beam splitter (13) that internally reflects white light onto a movable array of holographic elements (30, 32, 34) that respectively emit three different color beams that are focused onto a light valve (36), causing bands of the three colors to sequentially scroll across the light valve (36).

Abstract: A head-mounted projection display system is characterized by a pair of head-mounted low-power image projectors mounted adjacent the eyes of the viewer, and aimed to project in a direction along the line of sight of the viewer toward a high-gain, retro-reflective screen. Stereoscopic viewing is enabled by projecting separate images to the right and left projectors. The retro-reflectivity of the screen ensures that the right and left images will be returned to the right and left eye, respectively.

Abstract: A fuel injector pressurizes fuel in a pressurization chamber and ejects the fuel from an orifice. A reverse flow check valve allows fluid communication between the pressurization chamber and the orifice during fuel injection, but blocks fluid communication between the pressurization chamber and the orifice when fuel pressure in the pressurization chamber decreases.

Abstract: A displacement pump includes a rotatable drive shaft; a low-pressure hydraulic fluid reservoir; at least one piston containing a piston cavity; and a drive plate connected with the drive shaft. The drive plate includes an inlet passage and a fill slot. The fill slot is fluidly connected with the low pressure hydraulic fluid reservoir via the inlet passage. The drive plate is rotatable about the drive shaft such that as the drive plate rotates, the piston cavity is intermittently fluidly connected with the fill slot.

Abstract: A personalized memory storage apparatus and an associated display apparatus for the personalized memory storage apparatus. The personalized memory storage apparatus, memory pebbles, include a body and a key, where the body includes an electronic unit having a chip, an input and output device, a battery or other power source and a reader/contact and the key includes an electronically readable element therein which is read by the reader/contact to allow activation of the electronic unit for recording and replaying electronic data. The memory pebble also includes a chamber or slot for storing a physical items such as a photograph, coin, emblem or the like. The display apparatus includes sockets for receiving the pebbles and generally a centralized playback unit for replaying the electronic data contained in each pebble. The display apparatus allows large number of pebbles to be viewed for present and future enjoyment.

Abstract: A fuel injector performs main fuel injection by raising fuel pressure in a nozzle chamber to lift a check valve member to a fully open position, and performs preinjection or microinjection by operating a solid state motor to lift the check valve member a much smaller distance.

Abstract: An actuation fluid control valve for a hydraulically actuated fuel injector has a valve body having an inlet seat, a bore having a bore axis and a bore wall, an actuation control cavity, a low pressure actuation fluid drain, an actuation fluid inlet for admitting high pressure actuation fluid to the bore from outside the fuel injector, an inlet seat at a border between the actuation control cavity and the bore, and a drain seat at a border between the actuation control cavity and the actuation fluid drain. An actuator is attached with the valve body.

Abstract: A hydraulically actuated fuel injector has an electronically controlled actuator that moves an actuation valve member. The actuator can position the actuation valve member at one position to cause pressurization of fuel in a nozzle chamber for fuel injection, and at another position to hydraulically bias a check to halt fuel injection while maintaining full fuel pressure in the nozzle chamber indefinitely.