Abstract: An identification device has a band and a non-reusable tamper-resistant fastening arranged to join opposite end regions of the band to fasten it around a limb of a user. A transponder circuit is attached to the band, and is responsive to a received wireless signal. In response to the received wireless signal, the transponder emits a wireless signal representative of information pre-stored in the transponder. An electrically conductive continuous loop on the band extends from the transponder and forms an electrically continuous path along substantially the entire length of the band, the loop being frangible and easily broken in response to an attempt to remove the band from the wearer's limb. Circuitry in the transponder is electrically connected to the loop and arranged to become inoperative and disable the transponder if the loop is broken.

Abstract: The control of fluid introduction into and out of body conduits such as vessels, is of great concern in medicine. As the development of more particular treatments to vessels and organs continues it is apparent that controlled introduction and removal of fluids is necessary. Fluid delivery and removal from such sites, usually referred to as irrigation and aspiration, using fluid exchange devices that control also need to be considerate of potential volume and/or pressure in the vessel or organ are described together with catheter and lumen configurations to achieve the fluid exchange. The devices include several electrically or mechanically controlled embodiments and produce both controlled and localized flow with defined volume exchange ratios for fluid management. The applications in medicine include diagnostic, therapeutic, imaging, and uses for the introduction or removal of concentrations of emboli within body cavities.

Abstract: A wireless communication system including a receiver adapted to receive data at 10 Mbps or greater is described. The received signals are preferably binary (BFSK) and/or quaternary (QFSK) shift keying signals limited to a bandwidth of less than or equal to 5 MHz. The receiver includes a demodulator capable of operating in a multipath environment. In one embodiment, a frequency-hopping wireless communication system is used and the bandwidth limitations concern the bandwidth at each hop.

Abstract: The present invention provides for cooling a plurality of racked electronic devices having a first electronic device having at least one cooling vent at a first end and a plurality of cooling holes at a top, each of the cooling vents having a cooling fan, means for flowing air through the cooling vent, means for outputting the air flow through a plurality of cooling holes on the top of the first electronic device. The present invention further provides for a second electronic device having a plurality of heat sink fins on the bottom. The bottom of the second electronic device coupled to the top of said first electronic device, means for aligning the plurality of cooling holes under the plurality of heat sink fins, and means for outputting the air through an output of the heat sink fins.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that performs timing acquisition for multiple radio terminals. According to one aspect of the present invention the invention includes receiving a sequence of symbols modulated onto a carrier frequency over a channel and demodulating the symbols using a clock frequency. The invention further includes determining a frequency offset of the received symbols with respect to the clock frequency and applying the determined frequency offset to adjust the clock frequency.

Abstract: The control of fluid introduction into and out of body conduits such as vessels, is of great concern in medicine. As the development of more particular treatments to vessels and organs continues it is apparent that controlled introduction and removal of fluids is necessary. Fluid delivery and removal from such sites, usually referred to as irrigation and aspiration, using fluid exchange devices that control also need to be considerate of potential volume and/or pressure in the vessel or organ are described together with catheter and lumen configurations to achieve the fluid exchange. The devices include several electrically or mechanically controlled embodiments and produce both controlled and localized flow with defined volume exchange ratios for fluid management. The applications in medicine include diagnostic, therapeutic, imaging, and uses for the introduction or removal of concentrations of emboli within body cavities.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for communicating data between at least two data devices, suitable for use as a wireless local-area network, that provides robust data communication via a radio communications channel corrupted by multipath interference, particularly at high data rates. A preferred embodiment of the invention represents data as a sequence of Walsh-function waveforms encoded by pseudo-noise direct-sequence spread-spectrum modulation. Walsh-function-encoding of the data provides a long symbol duration, thereby allowing the spread-spectrum modulation to provide processing gain sufficient to substantially overcome multipath interference, while providing a high data rate. In another preferred embodiment, Walsh-function modulation is supplemented with various forms of phase modulation, such as coherent PSK for bi-orthogonal signalling, and DPSK between orthogonal symbols for noncoherent bi-orthogonal signalling, thereby further increasing data rate without reducing processing gain.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing frequency hopping medium access control among a plurality of nodes (e.g., communication stations) in a wireless communication system. The present invention is directed to decentralized control of synchronization among the plural nodes. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, a node used to control synchronization of the communication system can switch from a first master node to a second master node.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to managing power consumption in a wireless frequency hopping communication among a plurality of nodes. For example, the present invention is directed to features such as reducing power consumption of an individual node within a wireless communication system by powering on the transmitter/receiver of the node only when actual transmission/reception is required.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a molded roofing unit formed of a fiber-reinforced plastic composition. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises forming a camber in the roofing unit. The method of the present invention provides consistent results in the molding process, low material and production costs, and produces a roofing product with high rigidity and strength, impact resistance, stability in high wind conditions, and which is easy to install.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a molded roofing unit formed of a fiber-reinforced plastic composition configured to simulate the appearance of a conventional roofing product, such as a cedar shake, slate, or tile roofing product. The roofing product is configured to provide consistent results in the molding process, low material and production costs, high rigidity and strength, impact resistance, stability in high wind conditions, and ease of installation. In a preferred embodiment, the fiber-reinforced plastic composition is comprised of a polyolefin plastic compounded with at least partially delignified agricultural our forestry fibers. The roofing units possess high impact resistance, wind resistance and at least a Class C residential fire rating.

Abstract: Roaming capability is provided to mobile computers within a standard network such as a Novell network. In a computer network running under a network operating system that provides for fault-tolerant internet routing of network communications between nodes and requires that network ID of a node remain constant for the duration of session, the nodes include multiple mobile computing devices wirelessly connected to the network. The mobile computing devices are provided with the capability to roam during a session by changing access points to the network. This capability is provided by programming the mobile computing devices so as to appear to the network as routers able to change access points during a session. The routers connect one sub-net to one other sub-net, the one sub-net being connected to a mobile computing device and having a fixed network ID and the other sub-net, through fault-tolerant internet routing being connected to a selectable access point and therefore having a variable network ID.

Abstract: A removable connectorized flexible, planar antenna and a removable tethered antenna which attach to a card radio for use in a wireless local area network is disclosed. The planar antenna has a latching mechanism with a pair of release levers which latch to slots in the frame of the card radio to provide an attachment strong enough to be used as an extraction handle for the card radio. The flexible antenna has a flexible sheet with a conductive material applied in a shape specified and connected to the card radio via a RF connection port. A removable tethered antenna is disclosed having at the base of the tethered antenna a dovetailed connector which releasably rotates within a mounting plate affixed to the back of the monitor on a mobile computer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing wireless communication among a plurality of nodes and repeaters that are synchronized for communication with a central hub that constitutes a master repeater. For example, the present invention is directed to a wireless network having a wireless backbone of repeaters which can use frequency hopping to automatically establish synchronization despite dynamic changes in the wireless communication system. Exemplary embodiments provide for control of synchronization whereby a repeater, when introduced to the system, automatically scans for, and synchronizes to another repeater, while at the same time continuing to listen for other repeater signals which identify either the master repeater, or another repeater which is closer to the master repeater (i.e., communicates to the master repeater through a more direct communication link).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a wireless medium access control protocol wherein throughput can be optimized as the communication system dynamically changes when nodes either join or leave the communication system.

Abstract: A digital radio transceiver uses a differential 4-ary frequency shift keying (D4FSK) modulation scheme to achieve a radio that is low cost, miniaturizable, low in power consumption, and high in spectral efficiency. An adaptive digital "slicer" looks at a digitized FM video signal produced in the receiver to determine if the data sent is a 00, 01, 10 or 11. The digitized FM video signal is first processed by a differential decoder, the output of which is input to a peak detector. The peak detector outputs a signal upon the occurrence of a three-step transition, i.e., a peak-to-peak voltage value. Two-step and three-step transitions are separately detected and used to perform digital clock recovery. A carrier detect circuit uses a digital bit filter to produce a carrier detect signal that is reliable and glitch-free. The digital radio transceiver uses frequency hopping spread spectrum transmission.

Abstract: A signal transition control system for use in a modulated-signal communication system having a plurality of predefined signal states each representing a digital data symbol, enables a transition from one signal state to a next signal state to be executed in a smooth, bandwidth-efficient manner. The system includes circuitry for receiving a stream of data symbols and storing in succession consecutive pairs of the data symbols, each of the pairs including a last data symbol and a next data symbol, for producing data describing a vector in signal space from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, for storing data representative of a desired shape of a transition from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, means for sequentially stepping through the data representative of the desired shape, and for producing data representing a transition from the last data symbol to the next data symbol, the transition having the desired shape.

Abstract: An electronic, binary-controlled digital tapped delay line is realized by a plurality of like stages connected in cascade. Each stage comprises a differential amplifier circuit responsive to a pair of input signals for producing a pair of output signals and including a differential transistor pair. A first loading circuit formed by a plurality of load devices interconnected to produce a cumulative loading effect is connected to an input of a first transistor of the differential transistor pair for delaying turn-on of the first transistor. Similarly, a second loading circuit formed by a plurality of load devices interconnected to produce a cumulative loading is connected to an input of a second transistor of the differential transistor pair for delaying turn-on of the second transistor, the first and second loading circuits each being connected to a first circuit node.

Abstract: Digital frequency synthesizer and method in which an output signal of desired frequency is synthesized by periodically incrementing a count in steps corresponding to a desired output frequency, monitoring the count to determine when it reaches a level corresponding to a point at which a transition is desired in the output signal, providing a series of waveforms which are displaced in time and have transitions occurring at different times, and selecting the waveform which has a transition closest to the desired point as the output signal.