Abstract: A cellular telephone system embodiment of the present invention comprises a combination global positioning system (GPS) receiver and cellular transceiver and a data processing facility for converting latitude, longitude, velocity and bearing information provided by the GPS receiver into meaningful descriptors that are spoken with a speech synthesizer back to the cellular transceiver or an outsider who calls in an inquiry to a "1-900" service.

Abstract: A metal halide lamp includes a cast ceramic reflector almost completely comprised of alumina. A conventional metal halide bulb is positioned within the reflector. A glaze and then a dielectric coating are applied to the inside surface of the reflector, such that appreciable amounts of infrared radiation from the bulb are absorbed into the glaze and ceramic and not reflected into the beam.

Abstract: An improved single or dual-frequency navigation satellite receiver that can directly re-acquire P-code code-phase after a brief loss of P-code tracking. A digital signal processor (DSP) writes its current position fixes to a non-volatile memory. The DSP also updates a clock that keeps a running estimate of precise global positioning system time. When P-code code-phase is lost, it is re-acquired by reading the clock back in, adjusting for its drift, reading in the last position fix from the non-volatile memory, and then beginning an advanced P-code code-phase search based on such head start information.

Abstract: A dimmable fluorescent lamp system comprises a fluorescent lamp with filaments at each end that are continuously heated by a transformer. A resonating capacitor is connected in series with a resonating inductor and a pair of DC blocking capacitors are connected from each end of the fluorescent lamp to put it in parallel with the resonating capacitor. A control logic drives the resonating inductor with a pulse-width modulated square wave that is controlled by a feedback voltage derived from a pair of rectifiers and a dropping resistor in series with one of the DC blocking capacitors. An error amplifier with two gain settings, e.g., one for a range of 0-20% of maximum light dimming and the other for 20%-100% dimming, compares the feedback voltage to a setpoint. A threshold comparator establishes the switchover point between the two error gain ranges.

Abstract: A real-time kinematic system includes base and rover GPS units connected by a data link. The rover unit is typically moved to points of interest during a survey while the base remains over a fixed, and known location. An initialization testing program of the present invention is mounted on a personal computer platform that forces in the rover a loss of signal tracking, thus simulating losses in signal reception caused by obstructions of the satellite signals. A complete initialization is forced to occur. The test program uninitializes the RTK solution by causing a loss of integer ambiguities resolution by forcing a loss of lock on one or more satellites. The test program then monitors the subsequent initialization process, e.g.

Abstract: A satellite broadcast system using an airwave message signal to remotely control a signal receiver. The system includes a system manager to issue a message, a message service to broadcast the message in the airwave message signal, and a signal receiver to select a satellite and a channel of a downlink signal from the satellite carrying a desired program. The program may include audio/video, text, pictures, software, or data. In the preferred embodiment, the message service is a pager service.