Abstract: For operating input devices such as magnetic card readers (22) or keyswitches (23) on personal computers (11), these are connected to the keyboard processor (18) and activated by hitherto unused control codes. The data of the input devices are recoded into data for possible key operations and the data transmission to the personal computer is initiated by the code for a non-existent key. As a result, the keyboard controller in the personal computer does not need to be reprogrammed, and the function of the input device cannot be simulated via the keyboard.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for identifying remote terminals which are networked in a digital loop transmission system. A Site Interface Unit (SIU) at one of the remote terminals acts as a master. The Bank Controller Unit (BCU) at each remote terminal calculates a 16-bit number based on its 60-byte serial number. A binary search is then performed by the SIU to determine the calculated number of each BCU, and an address is assigned to each remote terminal by the SIU. Any conflicts in the numbers initially calculated are resolved by transmission of the full 60-byte serial number.

Abstract: An indoor/outdoor thermometer system employs a wireless infrared telemetry link. An outdoor unit capable of being mounted on or in proximity to a window is equipped with a processor and modulation means to enable measurement of outdoor temperature and conversion to modulated data pulses. The data pulses are coded to provide noise immunity. The data is transmitted in a free space infrared medium and detected by an indoor unit which displays the outdoor temperature. The indoor unit is mounted in a suitable convenient indoor location. Indoor temperature may also be measured and displayed. An internal timing data transmission feature is employed to drastically reduce power consumption, enabling long lasting lithium type batteries to be deployed as the power source.

Abstract: A touch sensitive pad consists of a number of electrical conductive pads (10) surrounded by a conductive pad (11). Each pad (10) is connected via a respective capacitive blocking filter to a multiplexer (13) and an oscillator (14). When the touch pad is touched directly to effectively bridge between one of the pads (10) and the surrounding pad (11), a change in effective impedance is detected by a resultant variation in the frequency of the oscillator (14).

Abstract: A compact keyboard has a plurality of pairs of individually movable side by side keys, each pair of which is on opposite sides of a vertical plane lying between such keys. All of the keys are operable by the fingers of one hand of a person and the keys of the compact keyboard correspond in number to the number of keys of a conventional QWERTY keyboard. The keys of the compact keyboard operable by the fingers of a person's left hand alternate with the keys operable by the person's right hand.

Abstract: A master-slave data transmission system employs a flexible single-wire bus and where any master unit can send data to or read data from any slave at a single time. Data transfer is accomplished by means of a flexible message format having a variable-length address section and a variable-length data section, with the beginning and end of the individual message sections being defined by labels, and a fixed bit clock being transmitted for a given interval before and/or after the message. During multiple master operation, a priority control arrangement prevents two or more masters from accessing the single-wire bus at the same time.

Abstract: A unitarily molded seal membrane (310) includes an integral microphone support (304) which includes a diaphragm (306). A cavity wall (406) is located about said diaphragm (306) on one side of the seal membrane (310). The cavity wall (406) defines a cavity area (410) for receiving a microphone (504). The cavity wall aligns the diaphragm (306) in front of the microphone (504), thereby allowing for environmental sealing of the microphone (504).

Abstract: A paging system (200)is provided having at least one television subscriber unit (222) with a television identification number and at least one paging subscriber unit (236) with a pager identification number. The paging system (200)includes a paging control station (240) for processing a page. This page includes the pager identification number that is intended for the at least one paging subscriber unit (236). The paging control station (240) includes a circuit (226) for determining when the at least one paging subscriber unit (236) is not in use. The paging system (200) also includes a television transmitter (216) which is coupled to the paging control station (240) for selectively transmitting the page to the television subscriber unit (222) in response to the circuit (226) for determining when the at least one paging subscriber unit (236) is not in use.

Abstract: A communication system for a vehicle conducts mutual communication between a central station and peripheral stations via a communication signal line. A communication signal from the central station is inputted via the communication signal line, which is outputted to an output circuit via a shift register and another register to drive and control lamps and the like. In addition, a continuity control circuit is controlled during a period from a time at which an electric power supply voltage is supplied to the peripheral station from a battery carried on the vehicle until the peripheral station receives a first communication signal from the central station to electrically separate the register and the output circuit. In such a case, the output circuit is connected to the other components to enable drive control in a desired initial state regardless of the above-mentioned communication signal.

Abstract: An analogue telemetry system/method provides fault location in an optical transmission system including optical fibre amplifiers. Each amplifier includes an optical fibre amplifier with an AGC loop therearound, a respective optical pump source being included in the AGC loop. In the AGC loop the spontaneous emissions from the amplifier fibre is detected and employed to drive the pump source appropriately to maintain the amplifier output at a predetermined level. A supervisory tone is applied at the transmission end of the system. At each amplifier the presence of the supervisory tone or a distress tone from a previous amplifier is looked for. If either tone is detected the signal is amplified and transmitted to the next amplifier. If neither tone is detected a respective amplifier distress tone is applied to the respective optical pump source.

Abstract: A remote meter reading system (10) includes a group of meter interface units in which each meter interface unit (12) operates between periods of activity and inactivity. The plurality of meter interface units (12) are assigned to groups each of the meter groups having a sleep rate assigned. Upon reading each of the meter interface units (12) the sleep rate assigned to the meter interface units (12) in each of the groups is advanced to the next group's sleep rate. This process is cycled through all of the meter groups in the system in order for all of the meter interface units to have approximately the same amount of overall battery savings.

Abstract: An analogue telemetry system/method provides fault location in an optical transmission system including optical fibre amplifiers. Each amplifier has a respective optical pump source including an AGC loop around the optical amplifier's fibre. Spontaneous emission from the optical fibre amplifier is detected and employed to drive the respective pump source to maintain the amplifier output at a predetermined level. A supervisory tone is applied at the transmission end of the system and its presence/absence detected at each amplifier. In the event of "absence", a respective distress tone is applied at the relevant amplifier. At the receiver end of the system, the supervisory tone is sought and in the absence, the number of distress tones, if any present, is counted and the position of the fault is thus determined.

Abstract: An inductor transmission path for energy and data from a write/read station onto, for example, a chip card is disclosed. A specific, vector-oriented phase modulation with two coils is disclosed, making it possible for the write/read station to use the same method to service different cards, i.e. those with one coil, or with a large coil or having two coils.

Abstract: A paging receiver having alerting means implemented as a speaker and a light emitting diode (LED). The paging receiver has a decoder for outputting a pair of periodically varying drive signals on determining that a call meant for the receiver has been received, a speaker drive for causing a speaker to sound in the pattern of either one of two drive pattern signals, and an LED driver for turning on the LED in the other pattern. The drive periods of the two drive pattern signals are arranged alternately with each other and such that they do not overlap each other, whereby the luminance of the LED is maintained at a sufficiently high level even when a battery powering the paging receiver reaches the last stage of its service life.

Abstract: A panel unit for a dealing board has a keyboard unit provided with buttons, the keyboard unit has a printed substrate arranged on a display, fixed contacts which form switches provided for the buttons, and electric conductive contact rubber located on the printed substrate and provided with moving contacts opposing the fixed contacts. A panel is positioned on the electric conductive contact rubber and provided with the buttons. The panel has holes, the buttons are fitted into the holes to be vertically moveable so that the fixed contacts of the printed substrate come into contact with the movable contacts of the electric conductive contact rubber. The buttons are provided with an engagement portion for preventing the buttons from coming off the panel and the electric conductive contact rubber and the printed substrate have relief holes in which the buttons are fitted when the engagement portion holds the buttons.

Abstract: A panel unit for a dealing board has a display and a keyboard unit provided with buttons. The display is divided into individual indications which display function names corresponding to the buttons. The keyboard unit has a printed substrate arranged on the display, fixed contacts which form switches provided for the buttons, and electric conductive contact rubber located on the printed substrate and provided with moving contacts opposing the fixed contacts. A panel is positioned on the electric conductive rubber and provided with the buttons. The panel has holes, the buttons are fitted into the holes to be vertically movable so that the fixed contacts of the printed substrate come into contact with the movable contacts of the electric conductive rubber.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for locating an object situated close to a detection area and a transparent keyboard using said device. This device comprises a set of detection zones connected so as to form lines which extend parallel to each other and to a detection area, a second set of zones connected to each other so as to form columns which extend perpendicularly to the lines, at a small distance therefrom, a scanning device which applies an electric signal to the lines and columns and which identifies the lines and columns subject to a signal variation and means for determining the position of the object to be detected as a function of the lines and columns on which the signal variations have been detected.

Abstract: A logic device having a state machine for serially transferring data between an AT-compatible mother board and a keyboard having a microcontroller for scanning the keyboard matrix, without the need for a microcontroller on the mother board. A timer is provided to signal a transmission time-out error, and to indicate the start delay before beginning to transfer data when transmitting to the keyboard. Transmission to the keyboard begins by asserting the clock and serial data bit to the keyboard, and waiting for the start delay to expire. The state machine has a chain of 22 states for transferring an 11-bit data frame, the state transitions occurring after the clock from the keyboard or mouse changes polarity. A time-out error state is entered if a timer indicates that a 32 ms period of time has elapsed. Both transmit and receive operations may time-out with the same delay, and enter the same error state.

Abstract: A control bus system for a home entertainment system has a single bus to which there are connected various electronic or audiovisual devices including a TV tuner, a BS tuner, VTRs, a CD player, an LD player, a cassette deck, etc. The electronic devices have respective controllers which have features to be executed thereby. At least two of the electronic devices are selected so as to be connected to the single bus, and the features of the controllers of the two selected electronic devices are arranged by a feature arranging unit to prevent the same features of the controllers from conflicting on the single bus. The feature arranging unit disables at least one of the features to be executed by the controller of one of the two selected controllers if one of the features is the same as one of the features to be executed by the controller of the other of the two selected electronic devices.

Abstract: An input device including a case defining an opening, a bearing member pivotally mounted in the case about an axis and disposed adjacent to the opening, a roller rotatably disposed on the bearing member and having a portion exposed through the opening, an encoder disposed adjacent the axis of the bearing member and coupled to the roller by a belt, and a push button switch disposed to contact a portion of the bearing member away from the axis, such that manual rotation of the roller causes the belt to rotate the encoder, thereby producing a first output signal, and pressing the roller causes activation of the push button switch by pivoting the bearing member, thereby producing a second signal. A water receiving member is disposed in the case between the bearing member and roller. The water receiving member has a main chamber into which is disposed the roller, and a subchamber connected to the main chamber by a cut-out passage.