Abstract: A system and method to detect acoustic signals from fire sprinkler heads discharging water and to locate such devices in a public building, airport, sports stadium or other structure which can include a system to measure speech intelligibility. Time and frequency domain analysis are carried out to establish the presence of signals characteristic of water discharge from a fire sprinkler.

Abstract: A method for mobile communication includes arranging a plurality of access points in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air with a mobile station using a common basic service set identification (BSSID) for all the access points. Upon receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station using the common BSSID, messages are sent and received over a communication medium linking the access points in order to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal. The selected one of the access points transmits a response to the mobile station.

Abstract: A monitor is disclosed for monitoring an atmosphere for the presence of a target gas. The monitor includes an electrical gas sensor having a working (sensing) electrode and a counter electrode, an operational amplifier connected between the sensor electrodes, a detector, and a circuit. The sensor provides a current between the electrodes that is indicative of the amount of a target gas in the atmosphere. The operational amplifier generates an output signal according to the current flowing between the terminals where the output signal is indicative of the amount of target gas in the atmosphere. The detector detects when the current flowing between the sensor electrodes exceeds a predetermined threshold. The circuit restricts the potential difference between the sensor electrodes when the current between the terminals exceeds the predetermined threshold by supplying additional current or removing current from the working sensor electrode.

Abstract: A computer peripheral connects to a host computer such as a PC to assist in a presentation. The peripheral includes a memory and receiver combined within a portable, lightweight housing. Presentation data is stored in the memory, while the receiver receives wireless signals from a handheld transmitter for paging through slides or other segments of the presentation using page up and page down instructions. The memory may be a USB hard drive, for example, or other portable storage media. The peripheral is connected to the host computer using a USB cable and an externally-accessible port in the housing, for example. A hub controller within the peripheral enables the memory and receiver to communicate with the externally-accessible port, thereby providing communication with the host computer.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method for reserving spare bandwidth for a link in a communication network including a plurality of links. The method provides for monitoring the volume of traffic routed through each link of the communication network. A single link failure for each link is then simulated and the volume of traffic which would be rerouted through each link for maintaining communication and the volume of traffic removed from each link are determined for each simulated single link failure. The difference between the volume of traffic which would need to be rerouted through each link and the corresponding volume of traffic removed from each link is then computed, and a maximum difference value is determined for each link for all simulated single link failures. An amount of spare bandwidth equivalent to the determined maximum difference is then reserved for each link.

Abstract: A method of automatically calibrating a motion detector and a motion detector adapted for calibration using the method. The method comprises setting the motion detector to a calibration mode, waiting a preset period of time for the installer to walk to the furthest distance, receiving a Doppler signal generated by motion at the furthest distance from the microwave motion detector within the protected area, measuring an amplitude of the Doppler signal and storing a motion detection threshold for the microwave motion detector. The motion detection threshold is a proportional to the measured amplitude.

Abstract: A process is described for manufacturing gas diffusion electrodes, which process comprises: (a) treating an area of a pre-shrunk porous hydrophobic substrate so as to restrict the slurry deposited in step b) to the said area, preferably by forming a well in the area and/or treating the substrate in the area to render it less hydrophobic, e.g. by plasma treating the area; (b) dispensing a slurry of catalyst onto the said area, (c) removing liquid from the dispensed slurry, (d) treating the dried slurry to remove organic materials and e) cutting the catalyst and the underlying portion of substrate from the rest of the substrate.

Abstract: An alarm indicating output appliance can be releasably affixed to a mounting plate. The plate carries wire receiving terminals which couple to the appliance. In the absence of the appliance, at least two of the terminals can be short circuited.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mounting base and a compatible electrical unit removably carried on the base. The base carries a transducer and a sensor external to the unit. The transducer emits radiant energy toward the unit. The sensor receives radiant energy modulated by the unit. A local control unit can store the received, modulated radiant energy as a base-line profile. Subsequently, additional profiles can be generated and compared to the stored base-line to determine is a spatial characteristic of the electrical unit has changed.

Abstract: A narrow-band laser device for exposure apparatus that allows to reduce damage to, and to hence extend the life of, optical elements such as chamber windows, output coupling mirrors or the like. A ring resonator is provided in an amplification stage laser of the narrow-band laser device for exposure apparatus that comprises an oscillation stage laser and an amplification stage laser. An OC, a high reflection mirror and a high reflection mirror are arranged to be offset, for instance, relative to a longitudinal direction axis of discharge electrodes. As a result, the beam width of laser light injected through the OC of the amplification stage laser becomes wider as the beam shifts inside the ring resonator, in each round trip within the ring resonator. The energy density of laser light in the optical elements of the amplification stage laser becomes reduced thereby, thus prolonging the life of the optical elements.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating between a base and a remote device in a security system. The base receives an audio signal from a telephone network via a panel and then frequency modulates the audio signal at a carrier frequency to generate an FM signal. The remote device receives the FM signal from the base, determines a phase error signal representing the phase error between the received FM signal and an output signal of a voltage controlled oscillator, determines a difference between the carrier frequency and a center frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator, and, if there is a difference, then changes the center frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator to match the carrier frequency of the FM signal.

Abstract: A method for the interpretation of a radio-lectrical command for equipment in which the command is interpreted as a function of the emission zone is provided. This is achieved whereby the electromagnetic characteristics of the field generated by the radio-electrical command in the vicinity of a device for reception of radio-electrical commands are determined. The characteristics are compared to determine if the point of the radio-electrical command is located in a near-field or in a far-field zone. A command is then carried out as a function of the command received and as a function of the emission zone of the command. This permits the same command to have two meaning for the equipment.

Abstract: A system and method for performing a walk test for an alarm system having an alarm panel and at least one zone, each zone having at least one sensor, having steps of placing the alarm panel in an engineering mode, establishing a communications channel between the alarm panel and a communication device and remotely placing the alarm panel in an appropriate state for each walk test, selecting a zone, triggering an alarm for each sensor in the selected zone, and using the communications channel to report the triggered alarm to the communication device, and remotely placing the alarm panel in an appropriate state for the next walk test after triggering all of the sensors in the zone. The system and method can also include user input to the alarm panel to indicate the desired communications channel.

Abstract: This descriptive document is about a new backup device that takes advantage of the components of a PC's conventional power supply and it combines them with additional typical electronic components from an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The result of such combination is a lower cost backup function that is applied directly to the PC and, therefore, eliminates the requirement of external devices—such as a UPS—to perform this backup function. In this document, the electronic components that combine with the PC's power supply in order to provide the backup functionality described above are referred to as integrated backup unit (URI).

Abstract: In an EL display device in which color purity of each of red, blue and green is different, the EL display device displaying an image of a desired balance of red, blue and green is provided. A video signal supplied to each EL element is gamma (?)-corrected by a correction circuit, the color purity of each of blue luminescence, green luminescence, and red luminescence is suitably controlled in accordance with the voltage and current of the corrected video signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fingerprint image capture process control method and the apparatus thereof particularly to a method for capturing and mapping fingerprint images and the apparatus for the same. The present invention determines the proper direction of mosaicing the slices to get correct fingerprint image by comparing the leading and trailing image blocks of two adjacent slices (frames) and uses the direction that is more affinitive as forward capture direction after the comparison. In addition, the identification of image direction may be processed repeatedly while mosaicing the slices, and calibrating the capture direction at any time while mosaicing the slices is allowed, thereby the error rate in mosaicing the slices is reduced and the efficiency of capturing and mapping fingerprint images is increased.

Abstract: A smoke detector having a closed internal optical path can detect airborne particulate matter, such as smoke from a fire, via a light scattering sensor and/or a light absorption sensor. The path can be implemented with a plurality of reflectors, such as piezoelectric minors. Input light can be coupled to the path, on a pulsed basis, for example via one of the minors, in a resonant condition.